Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-15
Dealers Who Expected to Re.
ceiye Concessions Threaten
Legal Investigations

.
'rts 6
That the output OF Hawaiian pine.
apple canneries Is the chief factor for
prices IN the New York market, that
jobbers are objccting strenuously to
the advances that have been made in
prices and even threatening an inves.
tigation Under the Sherman act for al
legged price fixing" is the burden Of a
statement in an article on the pine
apple market published IN the New
York Journal OF Commerce of May 20.
The article shows the position in
which the Gamers appear to nave the
3obbers and is Of much consequent in
terest in Hawaii As to the prices
asked, these are fixed on the main
land and recently, when the matter
of new quotations was the subject of
an article in the Star.Bulletin, repre-
sentatiyes of the local canneries stated
that they were then waiting definite
advfces from the mainland on the
prices which were being determined.
In its article the Journal Of Com
merce says:
Hawaiian pineapple has assumed an
unusually interesting position n the
eastern market Of late and report had
II Friday and Saturday that 1t might
become q subject of investigation by
the federal department of justice, un-
der the Sherman and other conspiracy
acts. 80 far as could be ascertained,
however. no one knew anything def
mite in the latter connection. though 1t
was admitted in Hudson street that
some OF the larger jobbers were in a
frame Of mind which would make such
action not surprising.
II appears that the Hawaiian pine.
apple packers, of whom there are only
pack the bulk OF the crop, haye taken
drastic positions this year In the mat
ter of shading" list prices and the
opening prices Of all the companies
were practically identical As mat
ter Of list this was not perhaps sur.
prising, but the firniness with which
all packers have refused to listen to
the demands OF jobbers for conces
sions from the list has been something
unique.
Depending on the experience of past
years, many OF the larger jobbers have
thus far refused to place their orders
relying on the probability that such an
attitude would force the packers into
q concsssionary mood, but II does not
appear to have worked, and report has |
1t that late buyers are getting wor
ried as to their ability to book orders |
for actual needs, while the packers |
are sitter THAI when the first prices |
were made two weeks ago Already |
advances Of from TO z 1-2 cents dog
en- are reported and other advances |
are threatened this week.
small jUbberE have generally ac-
cepted the goods at the opening prI |
ces. and are disposed to smile at the |
futile efforts Of the late Corners to SCI
cure combinations at their offers. |
Large sums OF money are said to have
been expended in transcontinentafl
wiring and telephoning, but thus far
without having developed any weak
ness among the packers. This is so |
unusual that some of the dissatisfied |
jobbers are said to have reported
their suspicious to the department Of /
justice. claiming that a conspiracy"
Is at work 10 maintain prices Illegally. |
Brokers, however, laugh at any such |
suggestions and assert that the uni
formity Of price Is only the natural |
operation Of lot of producers who /
have learned the lesson OF cutting prf-
ces to the bone and losing money. and /
are now determined individually to /
stand firm. under the protecting UNI
breila of the larger group of produc-
crs, without any necessity for collu'
sion.
II is pointed out by brokers that q
number OF causes have contributed to
the firmness in the pineapple market: /
ample to preclude recourse to collu-
sion. First Of all, pineapple is in a
strong statistical position, with little
Il any spot stock to be disposed OF,
thanks to the intensive work of adver-
tising during the past three seasons,
and the close cleanup Of last year.
Again. the big boom in sugar has en-
couraged many planters to set out
Il