Evening star., 1913-12-09
EGG PR|CESFALL
AS HENS get BUSY
Fifty Per Cent increase in
Production Reported
to Officials.
WOMEN ENTHUSIASTIC.
OVER BOYCOTT WORK
Representative Mcclellan Assails De-
partment Of Agriculture for
It's Statement.

Win the price OF eggs coming down
and with signs that the egg supply will
be Increased as a result Of increased lay
Ing by the hens, the women of this city
are enthusiastic about their egg-boyc cott
work. although the active campaign Off
cially closed last night said Mrs. Ellis
Logan, leader of the local campaign, to-
day.
The Department of Agriculture this
morning issued notice that hens
throughout the country have at last be-
gun to lay. and already many poultry
owners are reporting a 80 per cent egg
production
However, the experts of the gov
ernment disclaim any idea that the
increased laying is a result of any
egg boycott but rather due to the nat
ural fact that the pullets have begun to
lay again. The hens didn't start laying
at this time last year. when prices were
high and there were no egg boycotts.
Assails Department.
Representative McKellar of Tennes-
see, the foe of the cold storage egg"
was resentful today over the statement
issued by the Department of Agricul-
ture. Mr.. Mckellar said:
II regret exceedingly that the De-
partment OF Agriculture, the day after
l had made my argument in the House
In an attempt to aid the American peo-
ole in obtaining their food supply at a
lower price, should have published this
report. which IS apparently an effort
upon the part of the department to
whitewash the cold storage men and to
belittle my efforts In all candor, how
ever. / want to say ] am still in the
Err1, -
and reduce the cost of living for the
American people. The regulation of cold
storage must be had to accomplish this re-
suit fully.
Early last week 1 called on Secretary
Houston and asked him to aid me in
my efforts. He informed me there would
be a meeting of his bureau chiefs last
week to discuss this matter, and they
would invite me to be present / have
never been invited.
and my interest in the matter. I talked
it over to some extent with the Secre-
tary and DR.. Yale. 1t Is astounding to
me that this report should be pub
lished without notice to me under the
circumstances.
Il am sure that Secretary Houston
was not advised as to this report or
he would have remembered his promise
to me. This report must have been
given out without Secretary Houston's
knowledge
Il have read hastily the report OF the
department. 1t Is unfortunate that the
department does not give is source OF
as to how pullets have begun
to lay since November %.
Fall in Quotations.
When this agitation really started.
about November q, only two weeks ago.
eggs. both fresh and cold storage were
held at enormous prices. Within this
period OF two weeks, while the agitation
as to cold storage has been r fe through
out the country, according to market re-
ports. fresh eggs have fallen cents
per dozen, and cold-storage eggs in pro-
portion
Il personally asked department officials
for Information as to how the production
of eggs for 1913 compared with the pro-
duction of preceding years. and they
informed me they did not have such in
formation. II they did not have the in
formation about the production of eggs
for this period, or for the period of 1872
or 1913, / cannot understand how they
can have the Information as to the pro-
duction Of eggs between the period of
November . and this date.
1T is certainly an interesting query as
to how the department got the inside
pullets in the country for the last two
weeks. Evidently the pullets have talked
more lately than the packers have done. =
Members of Congress were bes,eged by
Mrs. Logan yesterday in the final round
up of her campaign. Those she visited
said Mrs. Logan. all declared that they
heartily Endorsed the work, and without
exception each signed the petition.
Receives Heavy Mail.
This morning Mrs. Logan's dining room
table was loaded down with letters ant
postal cards from every part of tn,
country. Ten of the letters were from