The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-07
rHB BEEF 0UEsETOE.
What Shall We Ne - Nave 0eeA Dsss n
New Ysrk THE 1viis sfthe Pressas eys-
ter sr auDpiyise eur Markets.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-!Sir: Shall
1t he brought from the West dead Or shall II
bc slaughtered and dressed at home These
are questions which concern not merely the do
nestle economy Of the people Of the Atlantic
States. but the public health. together with the
very large pecuniary interests OF the classes
engaged In the business. It is time they should
be considered. and inasmuch - they are OF
vital i'm portance to every household where
pound OF beef 10 consumed. they offer one OF
the fairest and widest fields for newspaper in
vestigation ard newspaper discussion.
The Chicago firms in the dressed beef bust
ness have been pushing It with great energy
and very considerable success. They have
pretty we'll monopolized the trade. at least in
sccond.class beef. In New England. But their
intrusion with the same views into the markets
Of New York. Philadelphia. and elsewhere has
aroused oil the vast array Of adverse interests.
The live stock dealers and the butchers. with
their millions Of invested capital. perceive that
the movement BODIES simple ruin TO them.
while the railroad manager and stakeholder
see with equal certainty that the success Of tho
new method OF supply would cut of nearly. II
not quite. one-half the profits they gather from
this great trade. The public. however. has an
interest separate from these. and one which
will ultimately determine the success or failure
OF the dressed beef enterprise. 1t wants cheap
beef. but 1t wants good beef more. and 1t will
not. as 1t ought not to. take bad beef because 1t
is cheap.
Should the dressed beef men succeed in driv-
ing out the Eastern dealers and butchers. and
in breaking up their plants 80 as to insure de-
pendence upon Chicago alone. they will have
established one OF tho greatest monopolies OF
because ii would control IN Indispensable ar.
ticle OF food. The small INDEPENDENT dealer
and butcher would be swept out: all the present
appliances for killing and vending would dis
appear. A few great establishments would do
the Killing in the West their agencies would ID
large measure enforce their own terms on the
railroads. and the public would wake up In q
few years to find itself at tho mercy OF gigan;;
Espsrienos with the 81 standard o Go%psns
T at all Events an Sss.
sion Yravely entertained by those who have
LOCKED at the subject in its widest bearings.
things entirely their own way. i they aim at
CONQUEST. 1t IL plain they must fight for II. A
under u New York charter. whose avowed OBJ
lect was to break up the trade by underselling
hs cass0 Mr. rmS l III ss Swn W. ssm Mr.
what pirntical ENTERPRISE Some q them have
proposed results Is SO m manifest that the dressed
beef people are slow @. 81 ,,,l faith; Why
SSs s saD ss sssa
Essa sSsrs fSs asa*ssS II + r.. ifs!y Tia! sss
trunk inc. railroad stock. would rather carry
live animals than dead ones because they yield
lust aIou, swIse as much freight. because they
reEuiate the live stock traffic ems selves. which
With cattle mon and butchers it Is n fight for
life involving not merely their occupations.
None Of these interests are going to die with
but what Si the consumer? 1t, is as ye. a
the difference Of few cents in price is all the
difference in the world. and not Of beef for
dressed bsei experiment has never been a
complete success: that is. 1t never drove fresh
beef E from "a, any market II was well tried In
he would poison. The reasons are numerous.
Frozen meats have a sekly hue BY no means
cess; they turn and taint quickly when sep
lures up multitude Of unsavory possibilities BY
sesoa In New York nons but Second Ss
class hotels and restaurants use the
never The Gc.sl Val asserts that ths Is the
case. and must be the case, 30 long as the
Maa ss Inc in Apr last the
results Of an Investigation concerning inter;
views with GThysicisns butchers and rsilroad
startling matter. 1t showed, equally the hor:
ror n,,,! and dangers Of both systems -, Of
transeosson IN n.nSa cSrs
the deplorable results which might foow the
general Introduction Of dressed beef. What
in the latter business. whether to furnish fair
article at q fair price or TO establish a great
sna aaS hs ssn srs
sSsssp,ibis e; p swindlin@s WA imposIion; and
amarket even partially supplied for a single day
with tainted meats, brought from distant point.
beyond the reach OF our laws. the vital interest
ofthe public in the true solution Of the beef
problem becomes very apparent. Diseased and
se vast % n the VEST anS Ike
carcasses imposed on the Eastern markets.
tons are not wanting-and some OF them from
Chicago-that the dressed beef men make n 70
az ss
seen to enter the mysterious and bloody pre-
cincts Of their great establishments.
tinue rs before. eating the flesh Of animals
which have been carried for days without food
e. m s shsrs
at the end Of the journey exhausted, fever
half the cases Wholly unit icr slaa sS.erS 'TT hs
horrors OF this system cannot be too strongly
And iris should NOT BE- ferso s ene i. the
method by which. Notwithstanding Chicago
dressed beef. our markets are sti mainly sup
piled. and BY which the best article. in shame
be i said must always be supplied; Nor can
we ignore the tremendous fact that even were
the dressed beef expedient u safe and proper
remedy for the hideous evils OF the present
| method OF livestock transportation, Ii would
| apply only between Chicago and the Eastern
market; while the dressed beef incurs all the
double hazards OF live carriage west OF Chicago.
| where it is packed and Of the refrigerator sys-
TEN during the rest OF its journey toward the
mouth Of the consumer. II Congress. es Mr..
| Bcrgh says. has failed heretofore to enact q
| law which would meet and cure these terrible
| evils. 1t was not because the railroads UNI
reasonably opposed such Legislation, but be;
carry stock safely and comfortably, neither
Congress nor railroad men could devise a suf-
| hcicnt and practicable remedy. The interests
| OF tho railroads are now 80 nearly on the side
Of live carriage against dead carriage that
| MIR. Borgh would doubtless find them quite
| ready TO cooperate with him in any plan de-
| signed TO relieve 1t OF the worst objections for
| 1t is plain that until the railroads. the live
stock men. and the butchers clear their own
skirts. they are In no condition to cry out
| shame and horror upon the dressed
Improved car; .,IiGp which Viii, cattle may %
suffering. 1t would he singular. indeed. II the
inventive genius Of the Yankee notion should
|