National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-27
A MEAT FAMINE THREATENED.
The Proposed Change in Freight Rates
and Ita Effect on the Local Market.

and Its Effect on the Local Market.
a proposed change in the freight rates
from the west for dressed beef threatens
meat famine In Washington. II the new
rates do not prevent the continued ship
mcnt Of this meat, they will raise the price
of meat in this market, for the consumer
will pay the additional cost Of transporta-
ton. II they do drive the dressed-beef
men out Of the business 1t will cause still
greater increase Of price, and deprive east
ern consumers Of oil the advantages that
attend competition between the two sys-
tens Of supply.
In response to aquestion as to the reasons
for the proposed increase, Mr.. Fink, the
commissioner Of trunk line pool, and asso-
citation railways, owning and controlling all
the lines Of transportation from west to
east, says that its purpose is to prevent
competition and to enforce to the fullest eX-
tent the doctrine Of the railways, that they
are entitled as a right to Tall that the traffic
will bear" Mr.. Fink is selected by the
representatives Of trunk lines to administer
the affairs of the pool because of his dis
tinguished ability as expert to accomplish
its purposes. AS such commissioner he has
power to fix rates. and as arbitrator his de-
cision is final as to rates and each roads
proportion OF traffic. He is vested with
dictator Of common carriers, and the traffic
of the nation is subject to him. Mr.. Fink
further explains that the principle upon
which the relative rates have now been de-
termined is that the cost OF transportation
on pound Of beef from Chicago to New
York shall be the same, whether the cattle
are slaughtered in Chicago or slaughtered
in New York
This is said, by the local representatives
of the western shippers, to be q complete
change from the commissioners former
position. At conference held In April,
1888, between livestock shippers and
dressed-beef shippers with Mr.. Fink and
other representatives Of trunk lines the
principles upon which rates were fixed were
enunCiated by the latter as follows
''We are to consider how to place the
dressed-beef and livestock shippers upon
an equal footing, so that man who buys
in the eastern market dressed beef that Is
shipped from Chicago as such, and dressed
beef that is derived from live stock, which
is shipped from the west and slaughtered
in New York, will have to pay the same
money per pound"
Now the commissioner says: "The rail-
road companies are now acting upon the
correct principle of neutrality between both
Interests, and can readily sustain their post
tion before a legislative or judicial in
quiryn
As explained by a local agent of adressed-
beef company the situation is about as fol-
lows: Forty thousand pounds Of live cattle
at 30 cents equals Sl40; live cattle yield an
average OF 81 per cent. dressed beef; 81 per
cent. Of 10000 equals 22,S00 pounds; $40
freight on $500 pounds, net produce, gives
rate OF u 4'lO cents per hundred pounds
from Chicago to New York; but the hides
tallOw, hoofs, heads, and ofral also were
brought through with the net beef for $40.
The liye.Cattle man has landed them IN New
York free. The drcssed-beef shipper
slaughters at Chicago and forwards his net
product, 22,sOO pounds, to New York at %
cents per hundred, equal to $l4S.20, and
still has the horns, hides, tallow, heads,
hCofs, and otfal, which also go east, and
which he must pay full tariff of 30 TO 35
cents per hundred.
The way the proposed new principle would
work Is about as follows: The railroads pro-
pose TO carry whole steer for the live
stock shippers for the same money charged
the dressed'beef shipper for half steer, the
latter 10 forward the remaining half steer
at tarih rates
\ reporter for the NATIONAL REpUBLI.
CAN called at the headquarters of Armour
~ Co, at the Center market aud found Bert
H. scannell, the manager for this section, I'm
Cnarge.
"What is the amount Of the dressed-boef
trade of this DlstrictY he was asked,
From $4,000 10 $1,000 per month"; he
replied. "Before we came here the whole
sale price was from IL TO IL cents per
pound; now II is "A TO 8 cents per pound,
with a vast improvement In the quality"
'What would be the effect Of the change
in rates upon your trade T
"It would probably drive us from the
market, and the retail prices would go up
Learly 10 cents per pound, which would