New-York tribune., 1922-01-29
COLLECTION OF 100000 squirrel.
\ cruline. fox, hare, beaver, sable
"A pony, wolf and marten pelts came
ont Of Rurxia in the fail and the


out OF Russia in tho fan. and the
Bolshevfd rang up the curtain on humorous
new turn in the oldest skin game In the bust
ness-the international comedy-drama known
as the world fur trade. Short on gold long on
assurance-a combination not unusual-the
Bolsheviki shipped nine cars Of furs to Lepsic,
Germany. to be sold. Not great while before
the furs had been the property of certain pri-
vate firms and individuals Russian, English
and American. Some had como from the pal
aces Of the grand dukes, while others were
from the rifed packs Of small fur traders and
from merchants warehouses.
Grand duke, trader. trapper or czar, how
ever, they all Jared exactly alike in the gath
ering in. This was accomplished by process
referred to as Specialization Of resources"-an
interesting and profitable proceeding for those
doing the "socializing," but triAe disconcert-
ing for the original owners Of the furs. In
cluded were certain New York firms that had
stocks Of varying sizes in Russia when the ex-
pertinent was in progress. One firm even went
to court about the matter, asserting that
among these 'sociazed' Boshevik furs
$4,000 900 worth of its property. 1t obtained
attachments, and the Sheriff has been author
lied to do q little "sociaizing' Of his own II
he can find any Bolshevik property about New
York to "socialize" So far his quest has been
unproductive Of results.
Certain amenities however, were observed
oF
Lcipsic. Cordial invitations were sent to
American and English dealers to attend and
bid. Thus, if there were any OF their former
furs for which a sentimental attachment was
entertained they were to feel perfectly vel
come to run over to Lepsic-with certified
check-and buy them back The Germans
were acting as fence for the loot not that
the Bosheviki felt any embarrassment about
doing business direct with the late owners of
the furs, but because they had trade treaty
with the Germans
Germany had been selling locomotives and
railroad equipment to the Bolsheviki. The
proceeds of the Leipsic fur auction were to
apply on this account, so that, in reality, the
Reds were going back to the early days Of bar
ter and were trading squirrel backs and tails
for steam engines
The furs sent to Leipsc in September
worth about $5,o000O0 and the prices at
which they were sold were high that Amer
lean dealers refused to buy, so the stocks went
chiefly to the trade in Germany. On the edge
of national bankruptcy, the Germans still had
cash to spare for expensive sablcs and squirrel
pelts the first fine furs Of the kind from Rus
sa under the Lenine-Trotzly dispensation.
Altogether the BolshevilIi are estimated to
have "socalzed" $4,000 900 worth Of pelts
and furs Of one sort and another. The first
sale was a fecer There VIII be others in
January and at frequent Intervals the idea
being to unload as rapidly as possible without
depressing the market. Furs, in way,
perishahlc goods and the longer they are held
the less is their value And some of these Boil
shcvil furs have been held too long now. The
Bolsheviki, having had their little joke, are
not inclined to take a chance of having the
"socialization' idea tried by some one else at
their expense.
Getting skinned, it may be pointed out, Is
nothing in the fur trade. The bear has
to be, and the trader very often is. A couple
of years age, when the market in this country
whocping it along at the top Of ths war
time boom and prices were 50 high you
couldn't look at silver fox without taking an
airplane ride, there entered a focl, Of specu-
lators who couldn't tell rabbit from seal The
skinnng these gentry got when the boom blew
up still is a pleasant topic Of conversation in
the trade Then there is tAe group of bankers
who undertook to finance the auction company
that was TO make s. Louis the new world cap
tal Of the fur industry. They found them
selves with So 100000 deficit on their hands
last spring and stin are wondering what
they are going to do shout Il.
Down on Sixth Avenue and around Madi-
son Square where he old New York fur trad
ing and manufacturing houses center, war,
Bolshcvks. booms and panics are all in the
days work and there are other things, too,
that aren't SO nice as they might be.