190 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Fishery products arriving at terminals in New York City during 

 the hours of the day — ^from 9 a. m. to 5 j). m. — are subject to delay, 

 due to congestion at the railroad terminals. Fish shipments are 

 given preference by the transportation companies, however, and 

 cars containing such consignments are so placed in the terminal 

 yards that immediate delivery to waiting motor trucks may be 

 effected. The progress of motor trucks through the congested 

 streets of lower Manhattan en route to Fulton Market is necessarily 

 slow during the busy hours of the day, and such delays have 

 proved costly to both dealers and shippers. Dealers invariably 

 advise the producers to ship their fish so that they will arrive in 

 New York during the hours of the night, thus avoiding all intracity 

 congestion and receiving the additional advantage of early morning 

 sale. At present about 70 per cent of the rail shipments are delivered 

 before 7 a. m. 



The selling price of fishery products at Fulton Market is governed 

 by the quality, size, and volume on hand, as well as by the time of 

 arrival at the market. A delay of an hour may bring a lower price 

 and therefore a smaller return to the producer. Occasionally a 

 higher price is obtained because a sliipment of a desired variety has 

 been temporarily delayed in transit and arrives on a scarce market, 

 but usually delayed arrivals suffer. 



Two sliipments of fish similar in character, size, and quality from 

 the same point of origin, shipped to the same firm on the same day, 

 may reach the market at different hours of the day, and as a result 

 the returns to the two shippers may be quite different. This is 

 especially true of fresh-water fish sold at auction in Peck Slip. 

 About 7 a. m. the buyers assemble in the street in front of the es- 

 tablishments and await the trucks of fish. Upon the arrival of the 

 first truck each individual shipment is auctioned directly from the 

 truck to the buyers gathered round. By 10 a. m. the buyers have 

 usually secured their stocks. In such cases a shipment arriving at 

 the market at 1 1 a. m. would be held over for sale on the next day, 

 undergoing some deterioration. This shipment in all likelihood, 

 unless properly refrigerated, would sell for a few cents less per pound 

 than if it had been offered for sale on the previous day. 



It is believed that delays such as those which now occur in Peck 

 Slip could be materially reduced should the express trucks unload 

 upon arrival at the consignees' door, instead of waiting until each 

 individual shipment is sold. If this were done more trips per day 

 could be made by these trucks, and consequently more shipments 

 could be delivered. 



In any fish market, in order to attract business, it is to the interest 

 of the wholesale fish trade to provide efficient marketing conditions. 

 The producer is entitled to speedy and careful handling of his products 

 to insure maximum returns. The producer should not be expected 

 to take every precaution to assure his product arriving at the terminal 

 in the best condition and then have his products suffer at the market 

 from inefficient and slow handling. A market well located and 

 mechanically equipped to give the best service will attract business. 

 It is to the interest of the producer to ship his product to the market 

 rendering him the most efficient and satisfactory service. Further- 

 more, his satisfaction will induce his neighbors to follow his example. 



