Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-16
Hens Getting Busy. Washing
ton Retailers Explain.
CAN TRUST BIG PACKERS
Don't Believe They Will Swamp
Market From Storehouses.
BUTTER ALSO TAKES DROP
Story From Chicago Is That Packers
Find Themselves Overloaded
and Must Market Goods.

While there may be a reduction in tic
price of butter. eggs and other food
stuffs, Washington retail grocers .a>
they do not believe the bottom is 10 fall
out of the market by reason of the facl
that il is reported Chicago cold storag.
people are To put on the market a grcat
supply which they have been holding
back for higher prices. In the words Of
George {. Altemus. 1920 l4th street
northwest: those folks know their bust
ness"
Continuing, Mr.. -Altemus, who is one
OF the largest dealers in groceries. but
ter and eggs on Columbia Heights.
secuted the idea that the Chicago pack
ers have their warehouses filled with
storage eggs and butter.
He believes they have unloaded their
supply TO large extent because they
know that at this time the prices. esps-
cially in eggs drop.
Busy Time for Hens.
January 10 is looked upon in prod
uce circles as one of the special times
Of the year when the hens get busy.
and as a result the price of eggs goes
down. All during the early winter the
hens have been doing very little in the
egg-laying line and as a result prices
have been up. Mr.. Altemus has been
selling them at from IS to so cents a
dozen. but since the supply has been
coming in strong the price has gone
down to 35 cents. II by any chance the
Chicago packers have not gotten rid OF
nearly all OF their big supplies. Mr.. AL
temus believes that they can be trusted
to do the job wisely. and not for one
minute does he believe that they are
going to unload in such manner as
to knock the bottom out of the mar
ket.
Butter has been selling at AZ cents
but now is down to 35 cents pound At
the Altemus establishment.
J. T. d. Pyles, who has q large NUM-
ber of groceries scattered in all sections
of Washington pointed out today tnat
lie had anticipated drop in the market
in butter and eggs. He averred tha
storage butter is selling I'm his establish
ments at - cents pound or drop or
: cents from Friday. The Pyles' stores
have been selling eggs at - cents. but
today the proprietor gave out a price Of
q cents.
Drop of Ten Cents.
Cornwell & Son. at 1912 Pennsylvania
avenue, say that the price OF eggs has
dropped from 42 to AZ cents, which 10
more or less on account of the fact that
once again the hens are beginning In
lay i'm earnest. This house points QUE
that during the past cold weather the
henneries from which ii gets Its sup
plies were in instances sending In one
case of eggs week. when, as q general
rule, three come in. At this time the
price was up. but now that the hens are
waking up to. their duty to the farmer
and the population of the country In gen
eral the price is coming down steadily.
Cornwell & Son sell q special brand OF
butter which has fallen about I cent q
pound and at present is down to 20 cents.
Commission Houses Fail.
CHICAGO. January l6-Millions OF
pounds Of butter. eggs, cheese and poul-
try held in cold storage warehouses here
will be thrown on the market before May
1, and a general tumbling OF food prices
is expected at once, according to COM
mission merchants.
Numerous Chicago commission men are
said to be facing failure as a result OF
their efforts to maintain artificial prices
on the necessities of life. The inability
further to uphold these prices Is said to
be due to a combination OF circum
stances, chief of which are the open win
ter of 1911 and the banner crops OF 1910.
Three commission men failed In the
last week as a result, il is said, OF hold
ing great quantities Of butter which they
purchased at an average price OF II
cents pound, and now are unable 10
market for more than q or 2S cents .
pound.