The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-02
BY WILLIAM R. sANsoRN.

A Philadelphia tourist In quest OF
good fat hens and strictly fresh eggs,
spent an hour in Richmond on Wednes-
day. Albeit, he brought Wayne coun-
~ farmers a message which, from the
viewpoint of those among US who have
to buy our chickens, Is most disquiet-
inS; , ,.,.,
stated without prologue or ceremonial
that few days ago his firm had paid
western shippers so cents per pound
for dressed hens. Fifty cents per
pound right out of the refrigerator
car in ten ton lots, mark you, for
choice dressed fowl. And the men
who were paying Al to SO cents per
pound for the run of the car of dressed
poultry never even see a consumer;
they deal only with butchers, grocers
and market men.
What these chickens finally cost on
Sunday dinner tables, depended on
the whim or cupidity Of the man who
supplied the housewife. At the very
least 1t was enough" We may be
sure. Not that the dealer overcharged
or took an excess profit, perchance,
but simply because any meat costing
around 80 cents per pound at whole
sale can never be cheap in the family
market basket.
Eggs and Poultry Scarce.
It Is true that we who are nearer
to the producer, and who can get our
supplies direct from the farmer If we
wish, are better OF than are those liv.
ing in the great cities, either east or
west.
But even so, we have a price to pay,
a price in competition with what the
birds and eggs will bring at New
York, Boston and Philadelphia. 1t is
true that these markets are always
highly speculative and that prices
change from day to day, and even
hourly. depending on the day Of week,
at times and always as to the quantity
of receipts and the seasonable de-
mand.
Right now, in the very heart Of the
most prolific egg-laying season, eggs
are relatively scarce. And why? Sim
ply because of the tremendous de-
mand from abroad, a demand that is
more likely to increase than to de-
cline, as vessel room becomes more
easily available.
And because this is true lot of eggs
costing 40 cents and up at storage
points are going into coolers for next
winters consumption, fully Is cents
per dozen over what had been hoped
for. This indicates high priced eggs
again next winter, for from last win
ter's experience we have learned that
even a mild, open winter, no longer
insures US eggs at a reasonable price.
Roasters at SOC per Pound.
If you are contemplating properly
roasted chicken for Sunday dinner you
probably will have to pay fifty cents
per pound for the raw material. One
well known butcher informed US this
morning that he was paying 30 cents
for hens in full feather, and that by
the time he had dressed them, stood
the loss in weight and delivered them
all over town he wasn't piling up any
too much money, even at so cents.
Be that as it may, that's his price
for Saturdays marketing.
A we'll known Main street butcher
and market man tells US that he hasn't
had a chicken on the place in three
weeks. They have usually killed lot
on Friday, he said, but not of late.
They have been so scarce and high.
and country buyers SO numerous, that
farmers no longer drive up to his door
with lot Of chickens and eggs to I'M
load at the market price. This party
evidently does not rustic" over coun.
try roads for chickens; simply taking
in those the farmers bring to town.
Others send buyers into the country
or send out letters to farmers, offer
ing a cent or two per pound more for
poultry delivered, for it costs money
to drive from farm to farm and pick
up supplies.
Prices Paid by Shippers
AS nearly as can be ascertained the
prices being paid at farm house doors
today are: Hens, CSC and 29c; old
ROSTERS, 12c and 13c; ducks and
geese, tic and 1Sc per pound. Roos-
tiers brought as highEa as Is cents just
before Easter, it was said, at which
season ducks and geese, as well as