The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-09-14

free. .
Consul-General Thomas Sammons,
located at Shanghai, has made re-
port to the Department of Commerce
on an enterprising American firm, The
Amos Bird Co., which is preserving
100000 eggs per day and shipping
them to the United States. His re-
port reveals the fact that the 200 en-
ployes who handle this enormous vol
ume of eggs, are paid wages of about
$500 per month, and that the eggs
are bought for around six cents per
dozen. This is but one of the many
firms engaged in the same line of
business, so one can get faint idea
of the volume of the Chinese egg bus
mess in the United States. !
Our first thought in studying these
figures is to ask elbow can the Am
erican farmer compete with six cent
eggs and $500 per month labor? 2" for
the Underwood tariff placed eggs on
the free list. But we've had that to
do since October 3rd, 1913 and we
don't waste much time wondering
about it any more but begin to ask
how the Chinese can raise and sell
eggs for six cents per dozen. "Cheap
labor" we are inclined to answer, but
that doesn't explain. Cheap labor
doesn't raise cheap grain, for we all
know that when wheat can be landed
in the Orient for $4,000 per ton or
less, the Chinese use enormous guam
titles of it which goes to prove that
they do not have cheap grain to feed
to their poultry. With grain at $4,000
here, the cost Of feed alone, not to
mention other expenses is not much
less than Is cents per dozen eggs, un-
der ideal conditions and extremely
careful management, and grain is al
ways cheaper here than in the Orient.
We are forced to the conclusion
that the Chinese have either better
poultry, better methods Of manage
ment or cheaper feed.
With the hundreds and hundreds Of
men in government and state employ
who spend their entire time in the
study of the care, management and
feeding ofvpoultry, it is hard to be-
lieve that the Chinese have very much
better methods of management, so
most of the saving must be feed. Then
what is it that can be fed to poultry
to produce six-cent eggs? With
wheat getting closed to $4,000 per ton
every day and with all the other ce-
reals we'll over the $4,000 mark, this
is question that interests every poul-
try raiser in the United States. What
can the answer be? We have no idea
but believe it will be well worth the
time of some Of. our public agricul-
tural institutions Ito make a study Of |
the situation. Such study ougst to |
result in cheaper production of Am
erican eggs or in publicity sufficient |
to condemn the features of the I'm
derwood tariff which have proved ruin
GUS to the American farmer.
One other thought occurs to us. The
grange, thru its subordinate county.
state and national organizations mas
taken this matter up and discussed it
thoroly and it is safe to say that not
many men will be elected to congress
this November until they have made it
plain to the American farmer just
where they stand on free eggs, free
potatoes, free wool, 21h cent butter,
and here in the Northwest on free
lumber and shingles. The grangers
are alive to these things and they are
to be reckoned with next November.
While we are talking of eggs we
might call attention to the fact that
there were in cold storage in the
United States 143,00O,OOO dozen eggs
according to the last report of the De-
partment of agriculture (sept. 9th).
How many Of these will be sold for
fresh eggs this winter, we wonder?
How many states prohibit the sale of
cold storage eggs as fresh ones?
Does anyone know? How many
states enforce the law? These ques-
lions are of vital interest to the farm
er, and the grange should see to it
that our representatives in the legis-
lature know where we stand. "A