The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-05
INCREASE WE|GHT
BY COLD STORAGE
Jersey Grand Jury Charges That
Immersed Chickens are Much
Heavier.
SAYS EGGS ARE coRNERED
Plants Alleged to be Responsible
for High Price of Many
Foedstuffs.

In view OF the fact that Councii-
man John Hirschberg recently mad.
q determined but seemingly unsuc-
cessful effort TO have thescity fathers
of Richmond adopt measures to regu-
late cold storage. 1t will doubtless be
Of interest to Richmonders to know
that the grand jury Of HUDSON coun-
ty. New Jersey, has tackled the
| proposition good and hard, report
ing among other things that dead
chickens, ny q cold storage method.
gain from 3 to II per cent more
weight white repostng in the plants.
| The grand jury states that the
weight is added to the chickens py
an immersion and freezing process,
and that for this artificial weight,
which Ia all water, the public pays
from twenty-five to thirty cents q
| pound.
| The grand jury incidentally reports
that the cold storage plants are In
large measure Responsible Tor the
high price of mum Der Of important
tfeedstHffss Fire eofd storage plants,
| 1t alleges. are the chief means that
enable manipulators to raise prices
and reap enormous profits. II asserts
that dealers In eggs. for instance.
| buy them by the thousand when e1gA
are plentiful. store them In the plants.
and then when there is shortage.
especially In winter. sell the goods
at high prices.
| Sold rs absolutely Fresh
The same process OF money making
is carried on by dealers in poultry
and other necessaries of life. Eggs,
| poultry and meats. according to the
grand jury, nave been kept In the
cold storage plant for more than q
| year at time. When they are taken
out they are always sold as absolute
| iy fresh
Declaring that there are in exis-
tence no laws that reasonably regn-
late the cold storage of foodstuffs,
the presentment states that these
storage for an indefinite length OF
time and that this demands imme-
date correction. The document con-
tines:
I'VE find IL possible TO control tho
market by storing foodstuffs, such to
meats, eggs and poultry. in cold
| storage. and thus enhance the price,
and that there LIS danger to public
health resulting from cold storage
products If the present methods are
continued.
Say Eggs Are Cornercd.
The records of the cold storage
plants show that during the last year
many thousand pounds of poultry.
millions OF pounds of meat and mil
lions upon millions OF eggs were stor-
ed In this country. These food pro
ducts are kept there many months
eggs for nearly year and meats and
poultry, In many cases, for longer
period. When eggs were plentiful
they were cornered and kept from the
market. The poultry was placed in
cold storage. and held at times when
II was plentiful, and thus the mar
ket was kept depleted.
And the same thing applies TO
meats, 30 that=we believe that
| methods OF this character go a grea>
way In causing the tremendous high
price OF food products it has existed
during the last year Cold storage
plants are the means whereby large
corporate interests control the mar
ket and dictate prices
This condition can be remedied by
laws which viii restrict the time for
which these food products may ps
kept In cold storage. The result
would be that instead OF keeping
those products stored away and thus
depicting the market and enhancing
the price they would be put into the
market, and as q consequence prices
would be lower.
Fraught With Grave Danger.
There may be considerable diver
gence OF opinion as TO the effect or
cold storage upon meats and poultry
from the health standpoint. but we
are convinced that a practice OF freez-
ing these foodstuffs. particularly poul-
try. withdrawing them from colo
storage for sale. with the Incident
thawtng process, and then. upon fail
ure of market returning them to
cold storage for later use Is fraught