Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-05-20

Of chief concern to the trade. and il
should be the case, also, with the con-
suIner, IN connection with the radical
lawmaking which is rife the country
over in restraint of cold storage, is the
effect which these actions bid fair to
have upon the storage this year and
subsequent business and price levels.
Especially does this question arise over
the egg situation, and converging views
are expressed as to conditions which
are likely to become prevalent in the
coming off season OF fresh products
and the usual reign of storage goods,
says Chicago Retailers Journal.
Cold storage bills which are termed
as unfeasible and entirely ruinous by
the storage men, are up before half
the state legislatures OF the country.
In one instance it has been proposed
to limit the period of cold storage to
as low as 80 days, an almost laughable
suggestion, while in the other cases
the time limits are set from that point
on up to nine months.
Just the effect that these lawmaking /
activities will have on the storage thisr
winter is the chief concern of the trade.
There is feeling that the prospects
of depressing legislation win scare
most of the storage men either entirely
out Of the business or will cause them
all to lay in a short supply, as they
feel very timid about taking chances on
adverse laws in addition to reversals of
the market which it itself may cause
them as much or more loss than they
will be able to stand
They have been put in a particularly
poor frame of mind to accept the legis-
latiOn boldly from the fact that all
were such heavy losers in the storage
line last year. 1t is well known that
the general slump in market prices af-
tected all lines, while the great slump
in egg prices actually put some of the
storage men to the wall. 1t was re-
marked by one well-posted authority
that most of the egg storage men last
winter lost as much from the slump as
they had been able to clear in the past
10 years. Such was the exact case as
well with butter.
Even at that time legislation had
much to do with the tumbling of prices.
Fear of national and state laws with
reference to corners and the possibility
of legal proceedings against the gGrN-
blers worried the storage men, and
there came a release of butter from
/ the storage houses in untold quantities.
Never had such quantity of butter
been put into storage to be brought
out and put onto the markets by the
! gamblers at a loss of from to II
cents per pound. And the egg men
were stung as hard if not harder than
the butter men. Inspired by the high
prices and profits of the previous sea-
l son to put in large stores, thousands of
" dozens of eggs were put away at an
y verage cost in sale at from "a to %
cents, but when dumped onto the mar
II. I
no more than IA to 10 cents.
Poultry, cheese and other products
followed in the wake of the two most
disastrous items. And the losses can
u be traced as directly to sentiment and
legislative influences as to the mild
il weather which prevailed all through the
latter part of the winter.
il This, of course, in the long run,
J. would reflect upon the consumer, who
would be the one to suffer by the very
legislation which is intended, in the dis
/ torted Judgment of the legislator to
benefit him. Throughout the period of
p plenty, produce would be freely con-
l. sumed, but with the limit of storage
set before the time of acute shortage,
e the gamblers will naturally refuse ttO
fill up. If they put in any stocks at/all
it will be at a later date, which will be
- limit set by law, and this will neces-
sarily come at a time when the cost
of storage is higher.
r The result will then be that when the
period of shortage does come the public
will either be denied any great guam
tity of most lines of storage produce,
or will be asked to pay such price by
u the gamblers who took on their stock
e. late that they will be in many cases
W almost unable to pay for it, or the
n high prices will work such hardship
as that a popular upcry will arise from
a. the masses.
a From this very reason a number of
" the storage men do not feel any con-
III Germ as to the law, feeling that it is so
H. unfeasible that it will kill itself. The
as very fact that the legislation is bound
r. to reflect directly upon the consumer,
and so hard, will tend to prevent any
such action, or, if it does not prevent it,
the rapid result on the retailer will
arouse such a cry of indignation that
II, the lawmakers will hasten to undo the
al damage.
a Therefore they hold the opinion that
only in butter and eggs will any short
e. age in storage be felt, as in all other
es lines the tendency will be to carry the
cd usual stock. South Water street IDEAL
ers generally declare that they are not
- frightened and will fill up as usual, but
re there is an undercurrent of feeling that
"a, nevertheless, next winter it will bG
IN, found that supplies are far under those
of former years.
Col. John H. Carroll, the big st
ne Louis railroad lawyer, came out of his