Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-21
rurpRIcE OF BEKF.

Every family, and especially the boarding
houses and hotel proprletors, are complain
ing at the high prices Of beef. The in
creased price Of printing paper does not in
crease the price Of subscription, and the
price of board cannot be raised to correspond
with the advance of provisions. This is a
great hardship on hotels and boarding
houses, and they will have to increase their
rates or incur great loss. All are severely
feeling the increased price Of beef, and the
question naturally arises, what is the cause
of this sudden rise and how long viii it last?
No donbt the expectation OF cattle has had
much to do with the increased price, but it
is not the main cause. The past season OF
foods, the failure of the corn crop, and the
advantages taken of these things by specu-
lators are the main causes which have oper-
ated to bring about this change. Moreover,
the cattle have been made poor by the
drouih, and stock .raisers prefer to
hold over their beeves instead Of
selling them for the market value paid Tor
skin and bones. 1t is probable that the
present price of beef will be maintained for
some time. There seems to be much commo-
ton among the spectators. They are buy
ing up all the poor cattle in every part OF
the country. In almost every county in
Arkansas the spectators are purcha sing all
the cattle they find for sale. They propose
to herd them in the Arkansas prairies until
they gain sufficient strength to travel, and
then TO drive them by slow degrees to Texas,
where they will rapidly fatten in the fall
and be shipped to market. The complaint
at the price of beef is not confined TO any
particular section. In discussing this sub
iect the Boston Star shows that there "has
been change within the past few years in
the sources from which we obtain our beeves.
The States east of the Mississippi which
formerly raised surplus Of cattle, now raise
but sufficient for their own consumption,
and they have no stall fed cattle except a
few fancy lots. Texas is the great
source of supply, and the cattle from that
State are driven into the Northwest, where
they are fed through one winter and sent &c
market in the spring. The drouth last sum
mer destroyed the corn crop in these cattle
feeding States, and the empty corn-bins tel
the story of the scarcity Of cattle. We can
not hope for relief until nearly the middle
of July, when the grass-fed cattle begin to
come in. 1t should not be understood thai
there is a scarcity of cattle in this country
as that is by no means SO. There is supply
that will last us for many years, but the
farmers cannot afford to sell their cattle il
their present underfed condition. The retail
butcher has to stand the brunt of this grea
advance. The drover and the WHOLESALE
butcher advances his price and gets it, bu
the poor retail butcher, who deals directly
with the consumer, cannot advance his prics
80 as TO make his trade profitable Id
feels compelled to hold on to hi
customers, waiting for the SUMMER
reimburse him. From information which WI
have gathered, we can say with almost Ger
tainty that there is not a retail butcher II
our city who has made dollar on good beef
since the great advance. The butchers arr
with the people in the desire for return to
lower prices, and when your butcher asks
large price and his beef is not up to his
usual standard, remember it is not his fault
and that he is greater sufferer than your
IF