The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1919-10-16
Bull WARK AGAINST
WINTER SHORTAGE
Some Facts About Cold Storage
and the Charges Of Manipula-
ton and EyorbItant Prices.

Once again thc subject Of cold stor-
age has come into the lifnelighi OF PUB.
lie attention and this time Ia connac.
tion with the naiiOn.wlde search after
tile cause Cor the high cost Of living.
There can be no argument in behalf
Of boarding and holding back food sup
piles for speculative profits. But this
Is a matter quite apart from the trse
and legitimate purpose Of cold stor-
age; and unfortunately. herause Of
the much agitation and damaging pub
llciiy that have conferred about The
subject from time to time. the real
service performing function Of cold
storage has been largely obseured
Laying In Winter Stocks.
City-wlse people. and even country
wise people, have long since forgotten.
aIrids. the conyenlences Of modern
life. that there Was a time IN the his
tory Of our country when "laying In 4
winters stock" deyolyed upon each
household individually. Today, one
does not even need 20 remember that
eggs are not an all-ycnraround prod
uct; that butter Is produced In scant
amount In the winter, and cheese like
wise. Not few would be completely
surprised 10 know that even meat pro-
duction has its seasons Of scarcity.
The buyer for the household In these
days simply goes to the store, any day
In the year, expecting 10 find these
and similar commodities on the mar.
ket.
Arc storages overstoeked7
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. II has
been computed that the combined ex-
cess Of number OF important foods
Ia cold and dry storage amount to 10
per cent. While on the face Of II this
looks Ike undue boarding Of reserves.
yet II must be remembered thnt 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 n year
ago and 40 per cent Of these exports
were foOdstuffs.
Moreover, our reserves last year
were inadequate. Those who recall
some Of the extraordinary prices Of
certain foods Inst winter and spring
know precisely what II means to have
too small holdings In storage. That
we nre better prepared for next winter
than We were for last should not be
used as the bnsls Of wholesale con-
demnation Of our methods Of providing
for our future wants.
How PrIces Are Determined.
Cold storage has been criticised se-
verely as an fundamentally that lends
Itself easily to the taking Of unfair
profits. Without question It's ability
TO extort has been grossly exaggerat-
ed. Storage warehouses are scattered
throughout 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
warehouses that rent space to who
ever wants II, either for small lots or
big ones. Tabulated figures Of the
amounts in storage are gathered and
disseminated by the government
monthly; and the amounts In holding
from month to month figured against
what should normally be in storage
during those months Cor the estimated
demand) 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
are published regularly by the federal
Department of Agriculture. These
show, for instance, that in the season
OF i915-1916 butter stored In June and
July at an average of 26.64 cents
pound, sold from November to March
at an average Of 27.45 cents a pound.
giving gross profit of 0.s1 cents
pound, or scarcely enough to pay for
storage and nothing for net profit or
interest on Investment. In 1916-1917
the gross profit was 7.79 cents
pound, and in 19i7-191S it was $50
cents. These gross amounts must
cover storage charges and interest on
the money tied up for several months
before the net profits are arrived at
1t is apparent from these figures that
storing of foods is an uphill and down.
hill business with its fat and lean
years, and affords an average profit
which is not excessive In view of the
risks that are run. Figures on storage
eggs for 1915-lsl6 show a net loss Of
2.2 cents dozen; for 19l61917, an
prosperous year. the net
profits we're 5.54 cents dozen and
for 1gl7-19is there was a net loss Of
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