Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-08
UNFAY0RAb[E Weather
CAUSE Of EGG SCARCITY

son of greatest production to that Of light
production is self evident.
For some time past the e has held
a very prominent position in the public
| eye and perhaps has been more attract
i've thar to the public nockethook. Egg
dealers nave been accused Of having
formed a trust and egg men have been
maligned by the public and by the press,
hut as is frequently the case, an in.
dictment does not amount to q con-
viction. That eggs are high now is due
to the natural law Of supply and de-
.mand-nothing else.
Production Normal.
Last April's production was a normal
one and the same can be said of the
month that followed. But last Summer
was a long one as measured by high
temperature, excessive heat prevailing
over all the g-producing sections of
the Middle est. In Kansas, which is
one of the greatest egg-producing states
of the Union, the temperature ranged
from 100 to 10 degrees in the shade for
a period of thirty days. About the same
cOHUlllOH ehlSLcu Ill NllSSoutt oIu iAS
states equally important as regards egg
production. Thousands and millions of
dozens of eggs were rendered worthless
by these extreme temperatures. values
declined at the point of initial market
ing to a place where the farmer would
not trouble himself to take what few
good eggs he had to a place where they
would find their way mt larger chan
nels of trade. The result was that dur
ing July, August n September, when
under ordinary conditions there would be
a reasonably large surplus of eggs, the
storages had to be drawn upon to sup.
ply consumptive wants and the surplus
laid up in April and May for Novem-
Der, December and January's consump-
tion> was greatly depicted, with a result
that on December / there was. perhaps.
not over 400, 900 cases of eggs held in
the Chicago coolers, against something
more Than a million cases at the same
time in 1912. January ] We will see less
THAI 100, 600 cases held in reserve, n
supply Inadequate to the demands of ff-
teen days without very considerable
fresh production. Conditions are not
widely different in other cities. Indeed.
where different conditions are found it
Is that a greater scarcity exists.
Profits Were Made. .
To the spectaculator or dealer who in
vested his capital in Auril or May in this
highly perishable and sensitive. product
ESQ far as market conditions are con-
cerned) some profits have secured. Eggs
went into storage during April at an
average cost Of about 18c per dozen.
Figuring one cent per dozen for storage
vestment and $50 a car for insurance
it will be seen that the cost Of carrying
one dozen eggs from April to November
to December is in theNnelghborhood Of
%. This would make the cost to the.
original holder 20 "a per dozen out Of
storage. Up to the present time CSC is
the highest price storage eggs have
brought. '
There are 1000 dozen to a car of eggs
as the term is used by the trades, and
these cars, as shown u"der these condi-
lions, max a profit of $40 or 80 per
cent on the original investment.
There are rather unusual profits in
eggs, but a margin Of 30 per cent is not
unusual to most other lines of trade.
Then, too, there are very few dealers
who carried their April holdings to a
point where, anything like a 30 per cent
margin was shown. 1t was only after
the storage holdings were greatly re-
duced that anything like present prices
were obtainable. But, Notwithstanding
evident depressions in some lines of bus
mess, the egg trade is optimistic be-
cause it has made money. more money
than it has been accustomed to make.