The Alaska citizen., 1911-05-15
PAY FAIR PRICES
 F0R FURS

In the last mail the local dealers received from the firm of tllman in St. Paul their spring fur quotations. The circular states that the extreme prices which prevailed during the year of 1910 had a bad influence on the fur trade in general. When these high priced skins were put before the general buying public in the man ufactured state. the prices of the man. ufactured articles were so high that sales were restricted as Conse- quence thereof. Seeing this, the shrewd manufacturer bought his skins in a hand-to-mouth way, buying only what he needed to fill his or ders, and the result was that the raw fur dealers all over the country were compelled to carry over large stocks of skins which they were finally forced 10 dispose of and there were so many of these old goods thrown onto the market that a general de cline has occurred at the various auC- ton sales during the past six months.
 The results of the London sales were as follows: The prices quoted are the extremes. No. 1 small and No large:
 Bear did not sell very well last year. prices being somewhat too high. and as consequence declined fifteen per cent. Present prices, $14 to s25.
 Beaver could not hold the advance which they recorded last year. and are ten per cent lower; s2.75 to S65O.
 Cross fox are one of the few arti cles which advanced. They are for ty per cent. higher than last year; sl0 to s35.
 The collection of fisher has been very small and the furs fifteen per cent compared to last year; s9 to $20
 Lynx continue 10 be popular ar ticle. but last years high prices made them prohibitive and they have declined fifteen per cent. compared e last year in consequence thereof; Sl2 to s30.
 Marten are not in as good demand as they were few years ago, and were il not that furs in general ad- vanced last year. we would undOubt- edly have seen a decline in this ar any extent Your sections are best simply held their own in sympathy with other goods. They have now declined len per cent. compared to last year; S6 for No. 1 small pale, to $40 for No. large dark.
 Mink are also not quite as fashion able as they were but with the twen- ty per cent decline which occurred, they will undoubtedly come into ia vOr again: S3.10 to $S
 The high prices which prevailed for muskratS last year stimulated trapping in districts where muskratS had never been trapped before 10 any extent. Your sections ae be. evidence of this, for there have been a great many more rats coming from Al3sEa during the past year or two than Tn previous years Other sec tions were similarly affected, and the result was that there were so many rats brought into the market that there was not sufficient demand to consume them. and large stocks were carried over They have been forced into the various auction sales d ring the past six months and sold for whatever they would bring. with the result that muskratS are today brmging less than half what they did l'st year; T. cents to 9 cents
 Otter are not popular, and are twen- ty per cent lower than last year; Sio to SIS
 Red fox continue in excellent de- Liand. but in sympathy with the general fur market are ten per cent lower than last year; s to $l1.
 Silver fox sold at such fabulous prices last year that they got be yond even the reach of the users of finest goods, and are twenty-five per cent. lower than last year; $500 to $1 ,000
 Weasel continue in demand, but the lower prices prevailing for Rus sian ermine has caused a recession of twenty per cent. from last year; 40 cents to 90 cents.
 The quantities of white fox offered during the past year have been enor nous, quantities being three times as great as they were in former years. This article is fashionable, but the demand has not been sufficient to up hold last years high prices. They are thirty per cent lower than last year. 8 to s10
 Wolves continue in good demand and remain unchanged. S2 io S7 50