The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-10-10
BULWARK AGAINST
WINTER SHORTAGE
Some Facts About Cold Storage
and the Charges of ManipuIa-
ton and ExOrbltant Prices

the cause for the high cost of living.
There can be no argument in behalf
Of boarding and holding back food sup
plies for speculative profits But this
| is a matter quite apart from the true
and legitimate purpose of cold stor-
age; and, unfortunately, because of
the much agitation and damaging pub
| licity that have conferred about the
subject from time to time, the real
service performing function of cold
storage has been largely obscured.
Laying In Winter Stocks.
City-wise people, and even country
wise people, have long since forgotten,
amidst the conveniences of modern
life, that there was a time in the his
tory of our country when laying in
winters stock" devolved upon each
household individually. Today, one
does not even need to remember that
eggs are not an all-year-around prod
uct; that butter is produced in scant
amount in the winter, and cheese like
wise. Not 8 few would be completely
surprised to know that even meat pro-
duction has it's seasons of scarcity.
The buyer for the household in these
days simply goes to the store, any day
In the year, expecting to find these
and similar commodities on the mar
ket. ~
Are Storages Overstocked7
However, we are told that storage
stocks of certain commodities are at
the present above the normal as COM
pared with this time last year. 1t has
been computed that the combined ex-
cess of a number of important foods
in cold and dry storage amount to III
per cent. While on the face of it this
looks like undue boarding of reserves,
yet it must be remembered that COM
PARSONS with last year are altogether
misleading. Demands for great
number of commodities have increased.
tremendously. Our exports for June
were double what they were a year
ago, and 40 per cent of these exports
were foodstuffs.
Moreover, cur reserves last year
were inadequate. Those who recall
some of the, extraordinary prices Of
certain foods last winter and spring
know precisely what it means to have
too small holdings in storage. That
we are better prepared for next winter
than we were for last should not be
used as the basis of a wholesale con-
demnation of our methods of providing
for our future wants
How Prices Are Determined.
Cold storage has been criticised Sc
verely as an instrumentality that lends |
itself easily to the taking of unfair
profits. Without a question it's ability |
to extort has been grossly exaggerat- |
ed. Storage warehouses are scattered |
all portions of the United
States and their contents are owned
by thousands of competing firms and
individuals. About half the storage
space in the country consists of public
that rent space to who
big ones. Tabulated figures of the
in storage are gathered and +
by the government
and the amounts in holding
from month to month figured against
what should normally be in storage
during those months Cor the estimated
iemand) form the basis for prices.
Some Figures on Profits.
But the best information as to
profits In the cold storage business
consists of actual figures, and such
ire published regularly by the federal
Department Of Agriculture. These
show, for instance that in the season
# 1915-1916 butter stored in June and
July at an average of 1854 cents a
pound, sold from November to March
It an average of 27.45 cents a pound,
giving a gross profit of O.81 cents
'ound, or scarcely enough to pay for
forage and nothing for net profit or
interest on investment In 1916-1917
he gross profit was 7.79 cents a
'ound, and in 1917-191S it was $50
ents. These gross amounts must
over storage charges and interest on
he money tied up for several months
efore the net profits are arrived at.
t is apparent from these figures that |
toring of foods is an uphill and down
III
ears, and affords an average profit
hitch is not excessive in view of the
isks that are run. Figures on storage
ggs for 1915-1916 show a net loss of
2 cents a dozen; for 1916-1917, an
unusually prosperous year, the net
rofits were 5.54 cents a dozen; and
,r 1917-1918 there was a net loss Of
AZ cents a dozen.
Extravagant charges of manipula-
on and control of prices are prepOs-
'rOusly absurd in view of these sea-
ms Of losses. The ups and down of
rofits simply Indicate the hazards Of
lie game for the best laid plans of
en- can not fOresee when warm
,ell may come which will start the
Ems to laying, nor, on the other hand,
cold Snan that will ahut off c1Irrauf | 1