THE POULTRY AND EGG INDUSTRY IN EUROPE 53 
Before the war the trade channels were well organized and seemed 
to unite at London, which was and still is the principal egg-consum- 
ing center of Europe. Since the war the establishment of new coun- 
tries and realignment of boundaries has resulted in the disassociation 
of banks and the disintegration of some companies, with a conse- 
quent disruption of trade, which has not as vet been reorganized to 
its former efficiency. The newer countries are somewhat jealous of 
the older countries and often their people are slow to enter into 
trade agreements with citizens of other countries. Channels of trade 
have been diverted in some instances. Whereas eggs from the terri- 
tory which is now Yugoslavia formerly went to England, larger 
portions of them are now diverted to Berlin. Vienna, and Italy, al- 
though it is only within the last year that Berlin importations have 
shown a rapid increase. 
WHOLESALE PRICES OF EGGS 
There are no daily sales of eggs on egg boards by means of offers 
and bids as in the larger markets of the United States. Neither are 
there any private or governmental price reporters upon whose re- 
ports so much faith is placed in this country. Prices are determined 
as a result of auction sales as in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, reports 
of committees as in Copenhagen and London and municipal quo- 
tations as in Paris and Milan. The London quotations as issued by 
the committee of the London egg trade, which meets every Monday 
morning, is considered by dealers in continental Europe to be the 
governing quotation. The London quotation, however, is in turn 
influenced very strongly by the Danish committee quotation, which 
comes out on Thursday and which is fixed by the representatives of 
the cooperative egg-selling organizations in Denmark. Thus it 
may be stated that indirectly the cooperative egg societies of a 
little country about half the size of the State of New Jersey control 
the egg market quotations of Europe. 
In arriving at their quotations, the Danish committee considers 
all of the factors entering into the egg trade, such as supplies from 
other countries, season of the year, potential production, quality. 
etc. These quotations are maintained for one week commencing every 
Friday morning and are used as the basis for Danish sales in Eng- 
land and other countries and for the payment of advances to the 
local cooperative societies, which in turn use them as a basis of 
payment to the individual members. Although they are adhered to 
as a basis for making advances to members, they are not always ad- 
hered to in sales, except in the cases of contracts made between re- 
tailers and the societies based upon them. Eggs not covered by con- 
tract are offered to various dealers at the quotation or slightly above, 
depending upon the opinion of the seller as to what the market will 
bear. If sales can not be made at quotation or above, reasonable 
offers are accepted at less than quotation. 
In cities like Milan. Rome, and Paris, the markets are more or 
less under municipal control and prices are set by committees of 
dealers, market officials, and representatives of the consumers. In 
some instances attempts have been made to fix these prices more or 
less arbitrarily, but with rather unsatisfactory results. Where at- 
