American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-05-20

ceived by the six or seven concerns designated as
receivers" and all turned over to the six or sew
en- concerns known as the "jobbers," and after
having been turned over to the ~"jobbers" they
turned it over to some 80 concerns known as
slaughterhouse men. These slaughterhouse people
killed the poultry and delivered 1t to the retail
kosher butchers of New York. The results of this
operation from the porducers and shippers stand
point were as follows:
The poultry arrives in New York City very
largely on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and
no price was made on the poultry until the total
receipts for the week were fully known, although
the poultry was distributed as above described.
After the poultry had been distributed, on Wednes-
day or Thursday, at about ten o'clock in the morn
ing, a meeting was held and the matter was talked
over among the receivers and jobbers as to what
price they would return the country shippers and
vote to establish the market for the week. After
the agreement had been entered into at what the
price should be that the receivers should charge
the jobbers for the poultry, this information was
given out to the press and wired out to country
shippers, the wires always reading, market set
tied at such and such a price" The combination
had a close working arrangement with the jobbei
who charged an additional profit to the kosher
killers, the receivers charging the shippers five
per cent for receiving and turning the poultry over
to the jobbers, and the jobbers charging from five
to 25 per cent additional when turning the poultry
over to the kosher killers. Then the Joint profit
of the receivers and jobbers was pooled and divid-
ed between the various concerns on a percentage
basis, which they had arranged among themselves.
The combination regulated the receipts of poultry,
allowing no poultry arriving after noon on Thurs
day to be slaughtered until the following week.
They further limited the poultry that should be
distributed at a maximum of 55 cars a week, and
in this way were able to hold off the market all
cars arriving in excess of So cars, and discourag-
ing shippers from forwarding poultry in any great
amounts, except on certain Hebrew holidays. In
1910 1t was reported that they had in the pool
500, 900.
At about this time poultry dealers Of Chicago
and Kansas City came to New York to investigate
the handling of their shipments of live poultry to
the New York market. Thew met BARNARD Raft a.
Son who were killers of live poultry and distribu-
tors. buying from the trusts. Mr.. Baff informed
them that he had paid that week for several car
loads of their poultry, in cash, 10 cents per pound.
The market that week was voted by the combina-
tion at 16 cents per pound, which was the price re-
turned to all western shippers for their poultry,
less all charges such es five per cent commission,
20 cents per coop for carriage, $2 per car for un-
loading charges, for feed and in fact every charge
that could be placed against the poultry, was
charged to the shipper. They discovered that on
the IL cars of poultry which they had in the New
York market that week they were receiving an
average of about 5000 per car, less money from
their agents to receivers. They went to the office
OF the receivers and notified them that they were
dissatisfied at the treatment they were receiving
and were informed that they, individually could do
nothing aout 1t, but in the morning II they wished
they would have a meeting of the receivers and
jobbers and see If anything could be done. All
the concerns interested in the business were pres
ent, one receiving concern, having in the same
building a tobbing concern 30 they received the
UT dhu Ictuineu v IL AT the prices o8taD-
lished by the combination less charges and COM
missions and other charges, as the receiving COM
pany and then sold the poultry as jobbers, to the
kosher killers or whoever they might find as GUS
toners. The meeting lasted from ten in the morn
ing until three in the afternoon. The president of
the combination did most of the talking. He said
that the combination was absolutely necessary on
account OF the credk system; and that the ship
pers had no reason for complaining; that thew
were being returned for their poultry ali that IL
was worth. He further stated that they had a
strong political pull" that no one else could start
a receiving or jobbing business nor secure a per-
nit TO slaughter poultry In Greater New York.
other than those belonging to the combination: and
that II the shippers were not satisfied with the
prices which were being returned, alhhey had to
do was to stop shipping. This did not please the
chicago and Kansas City people, but only one de-
cided to try to change conditions. He told Ber-
nard Ban that he would supply him independently.
with poultry outside Of the combination and clos
ed a contract for five cars per week. covering a
period OF several months in advance. For a num-
er OF years no poultry outside of the combination
mad been received and distributed. The oombina-
uon mad arranged that whenever a shipper had at
tempted to ship to someone outside of the combina-
ton that he should be punished. They sent buy
ers into the country at the point where the unruly
shipper was located. and raised the prices to 8
point that caused him a heavy loss.