The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-01-19
PRODUCE PRICES
Low EVERYWHERE
FOREIGN COUNTRIES DUMP SUR
PLUS ON u. S.-WOLF POINT
PRICES LEAD.

The farmers who market their pro-
duce in Wolf Point receive the high
est prices for their butter and eggs
paid anywhere in this part of the
country, or in any case as high as is
paid anywhere. The local merch-
ants keep the prices at the highest
possible point and depended on their
local trade to get their money out of
the produce.
There is no relation between the
local prices paid and the prices quoted
by the concerns that fix the prices
on the produce shipped out of this
country. Until last week Wolf Point
merchants had been paying from 35
/ to so cents and even more for eggs
and nearly the same for butter. Such
quantities were received that they
could not be disposed of locally and
they were forced to put the price
down to somewhere near what they
could get when they shipped out the
surplus. Their stocks being reduc-
ed the prices were put up again this
week to 30 cents for butter and 35
for eggs.
People who think they were get
ting the worst of it when the price
was at 25 cents last week should try
marketing their stuff at some of the
surrounding towns or shipping it to
the commission houses that the mer-.
chants are forced to sell to when
produce accumulates on their hands.
Real Market Quotations
Considerable pains has been tax
en- to learn something about the real
butter and egg market conditions.
1t was observed that last week ranch
butter was retailing at Great Falls
stores at 20 cents, so it is certain
that the producer has not received
any more than that The Williston
market list for this week quotes
tRancn butter 20 cents. - In the lit
tie towns the prices are way down.
About all the butter and eggs ship
ped out of this country goes to either
the R. E. Cobb Co. at their Devils
Lake house or the Northern Produce
Company at Maot A price card of
the Cobb Company, dated January 9
quotes $3.50 per case on eggs or 25
cents dozen. On packing stock
butter, No. /, 16 cents. A later card
of the Northern Produce Co. quotes
eggs at $3.50 case, or 81 cents a
dozen. On packing stock butter the
price is 13 cents a pound. The pric-
es ought to be more to give the farm
people return for their labor, but
facts, not ideals, govern such matters.
When the merchant has to get rid
Of surplus of butter, he must put
t into barrel, the best with the
poorest. There is only one grade
With the commission houses and that
S known as packing stock Then
he merchant must pay freight and
irayage on it and accept the buyers
weight. A butter man who has spent
more than twenty years in the busi-
less says that there never was a COM
mission house that would give credit
or the full weight
When the merchant ships eggs. he
nust put them in cases that cost him
t the present time % cents each and
sc 25 cents worth of filters besides.
hen there is the drayage and freight
} Minot or Devils Lake and the com
lission house grades the eggs to suit
aax,oeo1xrac
lie case and filters. The merchant
ust buy these every time and lose
lem every time he ships.
World Market Conditions
The fact is that if the town con-
lmers were not willing to pay pric-
far above the markets, farmers
ould be getting about Is cents for
cir butter and 20 cents for their
gs.
According to the best information
be obtained the trouble with the
tter and egg market all over the
untry is under consumption-so
any people are unemployed that
mot afford to eat butter and eggs.
is condition to much greater
gree exists in the other butter and
9 producing countries of the world.
e American markets are better
IN the markets in many other coun-
es, so much so that right now but
in immense quantities is being
ported from Denmark, Australia
/ new Zealand. They can pay the
" of 10 cents and the water
light and still get more than they
at home. Eggs by the tens of
usands are coming from China in
te of the six cent duty. Those
the reasons why produce prices
this country have at last tumbled.
! present market price on cream
butter is around % or 80 cents,
IA tha dem and not cfra0c +ba+