THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The New York Live Poultry Market. 
The Inside Works Exposed. 
Part III. 
RIOTS AT THE CARS.—Many men in charge of 
the cars who have displeased the unloaders and team¬ 
sters have been beaten into insensibility, and threat¬ 
ened that should they return with cars in the future 
they would be killed, and it is not at all unlikely that 
this threat would be carried out. It is estimated by 
men who know the business in all its detail, that every 
shipper has stolen from his cars, in the railroad yards, 
by men who are connected with the unloading gangs, 
no less than 100 pounds of poultry to the car. Here 
again we find the producers and shippers robbed of 
from .$17 to $25 worth of poultry per car. depending 
upon the price of the poultry. It is the custom of the 
kosher killers before killing the poultry to feed it to 
the limit, so that the poor garment worker and poor 
Hebrews employed in the other lines of labor must pay 
not only for the poultry, but for the sand, eornmeal 
and wet bread, an additional 10 per cent, as the full 
crops of the poultry make easily one-tenth of the weight 
of the fowls. A. T. Pierson, who has represented a 
number of western shippers, looking after their inter¬ 
ests in the live poultry markets during the last two 
years, has on two or three different occasions been ser¬ 
iously beaten and maltreated, and it is almost a mat¬ 
ter of weekly occurrence that his life is threatened. 
THE OLiD CROWD IN CONTROL.—The auction 
company has discontinued their sales of live poultry 
and the old combination is again in full control. There 
are no new faces in the business. During all the time 
they were under sentence to the penitentiary, they have 
occupied city property at a very low rental, in the 
West Washington Market. A great deal of testimony 
has been taken by the police and District Attorney’s 
office, in an effort to find the actual slayers of Bernard 
Raff, but no indictments have been returned nor ar¬ 
rests made. One saloon searched in Jersey City where 
the men congregate who unload the live poultry was 
found to be a veritable arsenal, over .10 revolvers being 
found behind the bar and elsewhere, which belonged to 
the live poultry gang. Men who are connected with 
this business, two of them at least within the last 00 
days, have been assassinated, the last being a man 
known by the name of Doyle, who was shot near Frank¬ 
lin and Washington Streets. It is believed that he 
knew too much regarding the death of Bernard Baff, 
to suit some of the people connected with the business. 
POSSIBILITIES OF THE BUSINESS.—The live 
poultry business is subject to a great increase in vol¬ 
ume. With an open, free market and a square deal 
here for the producers and shippers in New York City, 
the receipts of live poultry, within two years, will 
double over the present volume. There is a great de¬ 
mand for fresh killed poultry by the Christian people 
of New York City, as well as the Hebrew people. But 
with the business in the hands of criminals, men now 
actually under sentence to the penitentiary, and others 
under indictment, awaiting trial, the industry has but 
very little opportunity to grow. As a summary of 
what could be saved on the live poultry now being han¬ 
dled in the New York City market, which amounts to, 
approximately, 7,000 cars, annually, and which has a 
cash value of $21,000,000. the following items are con¬ 
servative. There could be saved two per cent, on com¬ 
missions were this poultry centralized and sold at a 
terminal, at auction, direct to the kosher killers, which 
would be $420,000. There would be saved in the labor 
of unloading the cars, were it all centralized in a ter¬ 
minal market in New York City, say where the West 
Washington Market is now located, at least $10 per 
car, amounting to $70,000. There would be saved 
the entire cartage charge, which amounts to $25 per 
car, or $175,000. There would be saved in coop rent¬ 
als not less than $140,000. There would be saved, in 
labor which is now employed in unloading the wagons 
arriving at the stands in West Washington Market, at 
least $70,000. A saving of 10 per cent, by regulating 
the feeding of poultry before unloading amounting to 
$2,100,000. Thus we can see that in this one item of 
food stuffs, the poultry arriving alive in New York 
City alone gives an opportunity for a saving of $875,- 
000 in a simple system of economy ip handling and the 
further saving to the producers and consumers of $7,- 
120,000, through honest returns to the producer and 
competitive retail prices to the consumer. In addi¬ 
tion to this we have an item of over $2,000,000 esti¬ 
mated loss to the consumer, through stuffing the crops 
of the birds with sand and heavy coarse foods. 
EFFECTS OF THE AUCTION.—During the past 
year while a daily market was being established at 
public auction, selling to the kosher killers, we have 
had an opportunity to study closely the results to the 
producer and shipper. Comparing the prices for each 
week of the auction markets with the corresponding 
week during the five years previous and taking into 
consideration the average receipts, the advantages of 
the auction system runs into startling figures in the 
aggregate. P. Q. Foy, an expert on quotations and a 
publisher of one of the daily price currents which for 
years carried the true quotations on live poultry, stated 
that it was his opinion that the shippers and produc¬ 
ers had received fully three cents per pound, or $600 
per carload more for their poultry through the auction 
system than they had received in previous years under 
the old method. As the receipts of poultry last year 
amounted to 7,200 cars, the amount of money returned 
to the shippers and producers over and above what 
they would have received under the old system by the 
combination amounts to $4,320,000. These figures ac¬ 
count for the desperate condition of the old gang who 
profited by the system they maintained. It is the sequel 
to the treacherous murder of Bernard Baff. After a care¬ 
ful study of the retail distribution by the kosher killers, 
it was found that in 1914, the price charged to the con¬ 
sumers at no time was in excess of two cents per 
pound, above the wholesale price established at auction 
for poultry. For many weeks the price charged to con¬ 
sumers did not exceed one cent per pound over the 
wholesale price made at auction, and for at least 
six weeks during the sale the kosher killers sold to the 
consumers at the same price that was quoted at whole¬ 
sale for the poultry. This condition was brought about 
through free and unrestricted competition. During the 
years when the trust was in full control, the price 
charged by the kosher killers over and above the whole¬ 
sale quotations ranged from three cents per pound, 
to 15 cents per pound, above the wholesale quotation. 
In very few instances was the price ever less than five 
cents per pound above the wholesale quotation to the 
consumer. The trust would not let any kosher killer 
have poultry who would not accept their dictation as 
to the minimum price at which ho should sell poultry. 
He could charge as much more in excess of the price 
made by the trust as he pleased but he must not sell 
his poultry at a less price than they had fixed as a 
retail price. The argument raised by the trust in their 
testimony in Judge Rosalsky’s court in support of this 
position was that the people to whom they sold were 
ignorant, illiterate and unable to fix a proper selling 
price so as to protect themselves and make their busi¬ 
ness a safe risk as a matter of credit. Then under 
the present system in 1914 we find that the consumers 
actually saved not less than two cents per pound, or 
$400 per car, on the 7,200 cars of poultry which they 
consumed, which amounts to $2,800,000, and the pro¬ 
ducers actually received at least $4,320,000 more than 
they had received when there was no open auction mar¬ 
ket in Greater New York for live poultry shipments. 
NEEDS FOR FUTURE WORK.—The Department 
of Foods and Markets of the State of New York is 
bending every energy to bring about a permanent solu¬ 
tion of the various food propositions of which the live 
Poultry business is but one. The object is to reduce to 
a minimum the expense and the difference in prices 
between what the consumers pay for their foodstuffs 
and what the producers of these foodstuffs receive for 
their products. That a permanent and strictly up-to-date 
terminal market must be established is the conclusion of 
everyone who has given thought and study to the subject. 
This market must be so located as to make the charges in 
carting and handling of the foodstuffs arriving in the 
city as light as possible. Waste must be eliminated, 
useless expense avoided, and goods sold at prices gov¬ 
erned by the law of supply and demand. Speculation 
and manipulation of food products must stop and food 
must move with as little obstruction as possible through 
these markets from producer to consumer or at least 
direct to the retailer. With a system established along 
these lines such injustice, unnecessary expense and ex¬ 
cessive profits as have been described in the live poul¬ 
try business and which actually exist today will be a 
thing of the past and an impossibility for the future. 
Attacks Upon Parcel Post. 
Most of our readers have probably seen in many of 
the daily papers long articles telling what awful things 
have come as the result of parcel post. It is frequent¬ 
ly stated that this parcel post has destroyed small busi¬ 
ness. ruined towns, and that it is putting business in 
the hands of millionaires, taking it out of the pockets 
of small producers. Some of these articles are very 
plausible, and they generally appear in the conserva¬ 
tive papers which are controlled by the old-time poli¬ 
ticians. Readers frequently clip these articles and 
send them to us, asking what they mean. The answer 
to that question is easy. They mean that the express 
companies, and certain other interests which have 
lined up with them, are trying as far as possible to 
break down the business of shipping goods by parcel 
post. This is one of the most cunning and carefully 
considered campaigns ever worked in this country. 
Many of these articles are evidently paid for, either 
direct or else sent in connection with certain adver¬ 
tising. The object is a frighten buyers, if possible, and 
make them realize that parcel post is really doing great 
damage. The truth is quite the reverse of this. Par¬ 
cel post is saving vast sums of money to farmers and 
others who are willing to buy direct for cash. The 
express companies have felt the effect of this competi¬ 
tion. As we all know, for many years these arrogant 
companies paid no attention whatever to public feeling, 
but trampled over the rights of the people, charging 
us high rates for their service, and paying just as 
little attention to complaints as they possibly could. 
Our records here will show brutal disregard of the 
rights of the people until parcel post was finally start¬ 
ed. Then the express companies saw it was necessary 
for them to be civil and decent, and they have tried in 
various ways to hold the patronage of the public by 
giving better service. Several of them have succeeded 
in doing this, and have organized a service which is 
really useful, but no one would have ever heard of it 
at all had it not been that the people rose up and de¬ 
manded parcel post. The express companies, however, 
are not satisfied with the present situation, and they 
are evidently willing to spend all the money needed if 
733 
there is any chance of crippling the parcel post ser¬ 
vice or doing away with it. Their plan evidently is 
to get these articles in the daily papers, and try to 
make the people in town and city imagine that they 
have been greatly wronged. 
In some of the daily papers which circulate in coun¬ 
try districts, you will also find long articles entitled 
“The Confessions of a Mail Order Clerk.” This con¬ 
sists of a series of very bright, plausible articles, in 
which a skillful author tries to show that parcel post 
is ruining country merchants, taking trade away from 
country towns, and thereby ruining farmers and reduc¬ 
ing the price of land. The whole thing should be un¬ 
derstood at its proper valuation. It is simply a shrewd 
and well-financed effort to influence the public mind 
against parcel post. Our advice is to pay no atten¬ 
tion to it whatever, but to size it up for what it is 
worth. We should offer cash to our local dealer, if he 
will let us have the goods for this cash cheaper than he 
will sell for time. He ought to do that if you offer 
him the money. If he will not do it, we cannot see 
that you are under any obligations whatever to trade 
with him, if with this same cash you can make a bet¬ 
ter bargain elsewhere. Pay your money at home, if 
you can get a fair bargain by doing so, but there is no 
reason why if you pay cash you should not obtain a 
fairer rate than those who have to be carried by the 
storekeeper, because if you continue to pay this high 
rate you are paying not only for your goods, but also 
a large share of the accounts which the dealer finds he 
cannot collect. 
More 35-cent Dollar Notes. 
I enclose you one dollar, the price of five bushels of 
potatoes at the car today. Please credit it on my sub¬ 
scription. c. G. 
Wellsville, N. Y. 
On the day this letter was written potatoes were re¬ 
tailing in our market at 35 to 40 cents a peck. In a 
few cases potatoes could be bought cheaper than this, 
but the average consumer was paying $1.25 per bushel 
—or more. Now let some of these gentlemen who say 
there is no 35-cent dollar figure this out and tell us 
what the producer received. 
In your columns recently there was, I think, a state¬ 
ment to the effect that a farmer could not well afford 
to sell straw for less than $10 per ton. Today we sold 
a load of loose straw, oat and wheat, estimated at 800 
pounds, at $5 per ton, and are sending you one-half the 
proceeds for which please send the paper. j. ii. s. 
Vermont. 
Try to buy a ton of straw in your local town mar¬ 
ket and it will be $18 or more—unless you are close 
to the farm where the straw is grown. A ton of oat 
straw contains about 12 pounds of nitrogen, six of 
phosphoric acid and 35 of potash, and in addition 
clean, bright oat straw has some value as feed. Per¬ 
sonally, we would not sell straw for less than $10 per 
ton unless we were forced by necessity to do so. 
What seems most needed is an assured market for 
our products of quality, grown and delivered, some one 
who will agree in advance to take produce at top price 
provided it is top quality. How can this be provided? 
s. B. 
This is from a back-to-the-lauder who says he has 
learned how to produce, but he falls down in the sell¬ 
ing. That is the common trouble. Under our present 
system of distribution the producer has nothing to say 
about the price whenever any middleman stands in 
between the farm and the consumer! 
New York State News. 
HOLSTEIN FRIESIAN MEETING.—The Hol- 
stein-Friesian Association of America will hold its 30th 
annual session in Syracuse on June 2. Several amend¬ 
ments to the by-laws and the constitution are to be 
considered, besides the regular order of business. 
STATE TO PAY FOR CATTLE.—The Wilson bill 
which provides for the payment for cattle condemned 
during the epidemic of foot and mouth disease has be¬ 
come a law. A commission composed of the commis¬ 
sioner of agriculture and a representative of the own¬ 
ers of cattle condemned are to determine the amount 
of damages recoverable by the owner but if the com¬ 
mission fails to agree on an amount a third party will 
be called in and a majority will determine the amount 
to be awarded. 
HOP GROWERS ORGANIZE.—The hop growers 
of Oswego County have formed a cooperative associa¬ 
tion. About 40 growers were in attendance at the 
meeting. It was thought that at least 500 acres of 
hops should be represented in the organization in order 
to make it a success. An expert will be employed to 
visit the yards in July and August to give advice as 
to care of the yards and the best methods of fighting 
insects. 
FORTY MORE NEW LAWS.—Gov. Whitman has 
signed 40 more new laws up to the 10th inst. One of 
these provides for a referendum on the question of 
issuing $27,000,000 in bonds for completing the barge 
canal and putting the new waterways in commission. 
Another new law prohibits printing misleading adver¬ 
tisements or announcements. It is also made a mis¬ 
demeanor to attempt to sell property by means of prize 
or puzzle methods. By a new law there must be a 
flagman or gates at all steam and electric railroad grade 
crossings where there is not an unobstructed view for 
at least 200 feet each way. 
GOVERNOR USES AXE.—Up to this writing Gov. 
Whitman has sliced off $1,001,742.33 from the appro¬ 
priation bills left him by the Legislature. It rather 
startles State officials that so large a sum could be 
eliminated from the money bills, but it has been done. 
Over $316,000 of this amount came from the Agricul¬ 
tural Department appropriations and appropriations for 
the various agricultural schools. The transfer tax to be 
received from the estate of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt 
will amount to about $3,000,000, Mr. Vanderbilt hav¬ 
ing gone down on the Lusitania. j. w. p. 
