Dealers’ Strike on Fish Prices Still Continues

Trade in fresh water fish at Peck Slip remained at a standstill yesterday, the second day of the retail dealers’ buyers’ strike against the allegedly high prices charged for fish by the wholesalers.

While trucks and truckmen stood idle in the street, and retailers stood in little knots discussing the situation, Stanley Osserman, counsel for the wholesalers, was in Washington yesterday attending a hearing on a proposed fresh water fish code, held at the office of the Administrator of the Fishery Industry. At the present time collective bargaining between retailers and wholesalers is prohibited by a consent decision handed down in 1926 by Judge Julian W. Mack.

Sol Walpow, leader of the United Retail Fish Dealers Association, declared that “the retailers are prepared to go through the entire holidays without fish, if necessary.”

The wholesalers are demanding more money for their fish now than before the holidays, he asserted, although there is more fish on the market.

FISH SUPPLY DIMINISHES

In a statement to the Jewish Daily Bulletin, Harry Lyons, vice-president of the Reliable Fish Company, 39 Peck Slip, declared:

“Before the first Passover holidays, the retailers appointed a committee and demanded arbitrary prices fixed by themselves. Other-wise, they would refuse to purchase any fish from us. As an emergency measure, the prices were agreed upon, with the consent of the Attorney General of New York State, and with the understanding that the fish should be sold to the consumer at a profit of ten cents per pound above cost. We named prices they could purchase fish for in the wholesale market last week for the first days of Passover, namely, white fish 32-35c, yellow pike 30c, buffalo 15s, grass pike 14c, jumbo carp 14c, No. 1 carp 12c, medium carp 10c, frozen yellow pike 15-16c, and frozen white fish 16-18c. Every consumer knows what he paid for his fish, so that this will enable him to judge whether the retailer is making a living or not.

“This week, the supply of fish is considerably less than last, due to the fact that the closed season in the Canadian provinces is ensuing. Furthermore, all the Great Lakes in the United States are blocked with ice, which prevents the fishermen from operating. Fish will cost more in the wholesale market this week than last week due to the shortage of supply.”

Mr. Lyons pointed out that fish now in the hands of wholesalers can last only another six or seven days more before spoiling. Thus far, he admitted, there seem to be no signs of an agreement.