Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-25
Members of Fruit and Produce
Exchange Claim Advantage
Was Taken of Them Before
Board of Health
SAY THEY LOST MONEY
ON THANKSGIVING DEALS
Letter Sent to Board of Health
Signed With Name of Ex-
change President Has Made
Merchants Wrathy

TO the man who had to pay 80 cents
pound for his Thanksgiving turkey
the information that there is trouble In
the ranks of the produce dealers may be
good news.
But the dealers are not happy. Some
of them say they have been stung, not
by the festive gobbler, the crowning
rooster or the cackling hen, but by cir
cumstances over which they had no
control But first it may be proper to
say that the rule of the board of health
recurring that all dressed poultry be
drawn before sold. is the central bone
of contention. Every few months IL
hobs up and down. and is suspended and
then nut in force again. This time it
has been suspended for the Thanksgiv-
ing and Christmas trade, but 1t was not
generally known to the men who are IN
the poultry business.
That, say the men who are complain
ing, is the cause of the protest tney
make.
There is an association among dealers
known as the Atlanta Fruit and produce
exchange. that was organized for mu-
tuaI protection. John Mccullough, OF
the firm of Mccullough Brothers, is us
president Last week letter was sent
10 the hoard of health asking that the
lou, regarding the sale of drawn poultry
he SUSPENDED from November lS TO 20
and from December 20 to January z.
This letter was signed: John lncOui
Tough, presidents and representative "
the Atlanta Fruit and Produce ex-
change"
r,eetine of the board of health ana az
this meeting appeared ID. n. McCuHoush
to ask that the request be granted. THIS
was done.
Now comes the complaint. The otner
dealers in produce declare they were not
given any notice of the action OF sno
board. Members of the BOARD ana III
i cials in the office of the health depart
ment say they did not send out any
notice because they thought Mr. McCui-
loush was acting for the association a.
the letter was signed officially
Men making the complaint say tnat
! NV having undrawn poultry the firm OF
McCullough Brothers was enabled 10 put
down the price from two to three cents
a Mound and then make far greater
profit than the men who had only Drawn
fowls There is a difference, they say,
of about 10 per cent in the cost, In favor
~ the undrawn poultry. Had they
known of the suspension of the law. these
merchants say they could have met the
prices of the other house ana mace
! nrofit but that having to drop from ~
cents a pound to 25, that they MADE III
tie, if anything. ~,,
DBAI,ERS SIGN STATEMENT.
The following statement was signed py
| poultry dealers Thursday:
Atlanta, Ca, Nov. "A. 1910
we. the undersigned, fruit and produce
iobbers of Atlanta Fruit and produce
exchange, hereby certify that we nave
not been. notified of any action whatever
of the board of health OF Atlanta. IN
reference to the sac of undrawn pouf
try during the holidays.
j. ]. PAYNE.
E Z. WILLIAMS,
j. NJ CONLEY,
SOUTHERN PRODUCE CO.,
LOWRY PRODUCE CO.,
M'MILLAN PRODUCE CO.,
WILLIAMS. THOMPSON CO..
GAILMARD & WEST,
MADDOX PRODUCE CO.,
TURNER BROS,
MCDONALD & CO,
GATE CITY PRODUCE CO.,
J. ]. BARNES-FAIN- CO,
FIDELITY FRUIT & PRODUCE CO.,
A. FUGAZZI & CO.,
PHILLIPS BROS,
DIXIE FRUIT & PRODUCE CO.,
JACOB CHOMSKEY & CO.
WHAT MCCULLOUGH SAYS
Naturally there is another side to the
controversy, and that is the Mccullough
brothers version The letter sent to
the board of health, it seems was writ
ten bv d. N Mccullough, who is not an
officer of the exchange.