The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-17
THE NEAT FAMINE,


increase OF sheep In this county has been at
least 20 per cent greater than OF population,
while the increase of cattle has been sixty one
per cent. against 30 OF population. There Is
nothing to show that this relatively greater
increase of cattle than OF human popul alton
has within the last three or six months under.
gone any change. Yet beefsteaks which In
New York year ago sold from IL TO lScts.
per ID. now cost 20 to 35cts. mutton has gone c
up in the same proportion. In Chicago the
advance Is from 10 and l5cts. to Is and % !;
and in Ottawa from 8 to IL cts. to l2la and -
cts. for beefsteaks veal and mutton.
Instead of a growing scarcity OF meats the
trouble appears, upon closer scrutiny, to be
one of transportation. Certain New York gen.
tlemen, finding that beef and mutton averaged
nearly ten cents pound higher in that city
than IN Chicago on investigation discovered
that the chief cause lay in the cost OF trans
portation OF live stock, and thereupon organ.
lied a company who made arrangements to do
their slaughtering in Chicago ana transport.
ing the meat to New York IN refrigerator
cars. The experiment has proved success,
and good Texas ribs and sirloIns can thus be
sold at profit at 1215 cts. a pound in New
York which had been selling at 90 cts and
upwards.
| But a more torcible statement on this sub.
ject involving the question of transportation,
was made week ago In congress in an argu.
ment in favor of the Reagan bill, now pend
ing in that body. "a tenderloin, served in
a restaurant In this city" said the speaker,
costs 80 cts. Beef sold TO boarding. house
keepers costs 30 to 35 cts pound 1t Is
worth from 3 to 5 cts dressed In the market
houses In Texas. Prices hove augmented 30
per cent within twelve months"
The statistics show that there has been no
falling off in the number of beeves raised
either IN Texas or throughout the west. But
these facts, as summarized by the american
Hegister, were stated: mot twelve months
ago beeves we're transported in eighteen
hours from San Antonio by rail to New Or.
leans. Here the cattle, in perfect condition,
we're placed upon great barges and towed to
st. Louis. On the river six or eight days,
these beeves, we'll fed and watered, were do.
livered IN better condition IN st. Louis than
when taken from the plains Of Western Texas.
Within three or four days, having gained
while on the river in weight and value, these
cattle were delivered to the butchers of this
and other Eastern cities.
But it happened that while the whole coun.
try was thus profted by the barges which
gave us the greatest quantity of the best posi-
BILE beet at the lowest possible price, the sys-
ten of railways converging at st. Louis, from
the Southwest, were deprived of the privilege
of transporting these beeves These railways
having great wealth, in order to regain mo-
nopoly of this freight from Western Texas to
St Louis, absolutely bought and tied the
barges to the shore. The result has been, as
We have seen and as the beef market of Wash
ington attests, most unfortunate for the whole
country. But this ,nterposltlon by railways
in the beet market has made more friends for
Reagan's antrailway commission bill than
the most eloquent and earnest appeals of the
congressman llbiu ltNhS.
ut happens too, that this intervention of the
great railway managers in the beef market
has directed public attention, rs was never
done before, to the necessity for an open wa
ter.wsy from st. Louis and Chicago to the Gulf
of Mexico, Judge Reagans proposed restric
tons upon pooling" and rebates" and upon
unequal rates for like distances may be states.
manlike; but very certainly the surest and
only perfect railway regulator, as perfect as
the clocks pendulum, is to be found IN an
finland sea-" connecting Western cities with
the Gulf of Mexico. The railways have,
meanwhile, the great barges tied to the shore
IN readiness 10 compete with others that mi ht
be constructed Individual enterprise is thus
paralyzed, and the great railways, unified as
plunderers of the people, fix freightrates at
will on bacon, wheat, and cattle"
The Reagan Bill has been before congress
for several years, and while its passage has
been contemplated with the utmost dread by
the railroad monopolists, the people have
shown thus far comparative indifference on
the subject; but when arguments in Its favor
as forcible as the above, addressed TO the stom-
achs of the people, become little more plen.
tiful, the question OF its enactment into a law
will soon be eifectually settled.
The TROUBLES in Ireland" for the past year
instead of being discouragment to the peo
pie of that country, appear to be a positive at
traction. At least in spite of the fact hat the
English government has lately offered extra
encouragement TO emigration, the Irish people