New-York tribune., 1910-01-28
"EGGS?-OH " ELL ~
NOT MANY OF THEM.
If a Month Old, They're
Fresh, but Scarce, EUen So.

Fresh eggs!" exclaimed a man who
knows the business yesterday. There Is
no such thing on the New York market to-
day. if by fresh you mean an egg laid
in the last month. There are some coming
here, but they are all under direct contract
with big hotels. restaurants and people who
do not care what they cost, and insure hav-
ing a supply by contracting with a producer
in whom they have faith. If 1t were not for
the cold storage supply, which was accu-
mulated when the hens were working over
time this would practically be an eggless
town to-day. The high prices of eggs are
the result Of two causes, the first of which
is the fact that the hens. affected by the Sc
we're weather in December and the first half
of January, shut down on egg production
This affected other places as well as New
York
How much? Well. there are thirty-two
warehouses in the United States Cold Stor-
age Association, scattered all over the
country, and from those thirty-two houses
there were withdrawn In December last
$4,000 cases of eggs for consumption. These
cases hold thirty dozen each. so the cold
storage supply for the Christmas month
aggregated 6.23O,OOO dozen. or more than
94,700O00 eggs.
There is no combination among egg
people. There could not be. The source of
supply is the whole country, the quantity
supplied is not subject to any law save the
desire Of hens to lay eggs, and while prices
have been abnormally high. you will find
II you look far enough, that they are gov
erned by a law which the hen does not
recognize-that Of supply and demand.
Prices are dropping. That is because of
milder weather and increased supplies from
the great producing region of the Middle
West and the South, and as the weather
grows milder the prices will continue to
drop regardless of the meat boycott or
anything else. until they reach a level
where the cold storage people can stock. I'D
again.
THE second cause is that the people are
too prosperous. New York. you know. calls
for white eggs, where Boston will take
brown Other cities have their prefer
ences. but the general demand is for fine
clean, white eggs, and that makes them
cost more
Local butter and cheese dealers attributed
the high prices to natural causes and de-
MED any possibility OF combination. One
large dealer in cheese said that the demand
Of New York for milk was responsible in a
large measure for the increased cost of
cheese, consequent upon a light supply.
I'VE used to get cheese of the finest quail
ity from Sullivan. Orange and other south
ern tier counties" he said, from the Mo-
hawk Valley. where Little Falls is still
centre. and other state points, but now the
farmer finds it more profitable to sell his
milk to the big New York dairy concerns,
and they have contracts which prevent the
farmer taking advantage of a rise in the
cheese market by calling for his full supply
OF milk.
I'm this connection there is a develop
ment that is interesting. New Workers are
spending more money than ever. They used
to use milk on puddings. berries and in
their tea and coffee; but not now The de-
mand for cream has grown enormously;
people have been able TO pay for it. and
the result is a lot of skinned milk which
goes to creameries or is made up at home
into skinned milk cheese. and then the
very people who have brought about this
condition insist having full cream
cheese after they have used the cream
from which the cheese might have been
made
The butter men were not so divergent in
their views as other dealers. and practically
agreed that the advance was not artificial.
but had been brought about by natural
causes, and the same complaint, that New
Workers would have the best, was made by
several of them
Prices will begin 10 drop before long"
said one butter man. but 1t will not be
because of this boycott OF meat That has
not affected at all. and is not likely to
They will drop simply because the supply
will before long begin TO catch up with the
demand, but if the people would be salts
fed with a grade OF butter a little lower
than the very best it would make a vast
difference to their pocketbooks."