Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-23
THE Big COMBINE.
Further Proceedings Had Before the
Ssnats COMMITTEES Investigating
the Dressed Bssf Monopoly.
The FREEZING Out of the Ell Paso Re-
frigerator Alleged by One Wit,
ness and Denied by Another.
she OzusbSDE Dat OF the Butchers ia Eait-
srn nSrkets Described by Exp srIercsd
Msn-rhs Prices Of meats.


markets we're paralyzsd by the control
the dressed beef men had securc3. There
was no competition in the msrket be-
tween buyers he &dvised system Of
local inspection which he said would
make innumerable markets instead Of TWO
IS at present.
Senator Mandersoc-Whx. would be
the tffsct il law was passed that no
| meat stould be sold fer consumption IN
legs 1t was Inspected onRthe hocf?
Witness-I think thet such &c Law
would prevent Texas msn from SEEDING
to market cows that were IS lean as
hounds.
Senator Plumb asked the witness Il ne
thought the price 10 the conaGmer YVES
lower than 1t was folm 3rlY when sthare
were no picking houses.
Witness: l don't k low tia. the price
We get for our livs beef does MOI justify
tae price the consumer pays.
About dozen Witnesses were examined
to-day. All the testimony thus Tar goes
10 show that the dressed best people bsya
formed combination to kill eff the small
baJehers isnd thus obtain control Of al
the beef business of the country. A wit
ness from New York made the statement
that the western dressed beef interests
controlled SO per cent OF the market, but
prices are the same as those OF tie BUTCH
ers. a. W. Hilliard OF Midland, Texas,
corrobGrs:ed the story as to the freez q 2
OUT OF the refrigerator company g. El
Psso.
Lsvi Sa nuels, @ whcl sssle b1tcher Of
New York, form ally an exporter, tes.iti ID
thai the cattle mark Il o nov depressed
He WAS familiar with { e dressed beef
business.
Senator Yest-When did the business
decline?
E Witness-The first refrigerator beet ne
f6Ed was in 1876.
Senator Vest-It has COW become 6
very lsrgs business.
Witness-Ishae
Senator Vas.-What has bean the
ef5ci?
Wi.ness-Wnh the exception OF one o.
two towns in the east, sll the beef sold
there is dressed beef. The local butchers
have qn!t slaughserIng or buying froT
wholesale slsughterers.
Sepater Vest-Why is this Are there
not live cattle off .rsd for sale on these
markets
WIFI ess-Yes, but the western dressed
beef men have gone IL there AID offered
their beef lower than the local butchers
could buy csttle ard slaughter them. II
this way The local slaughterers Weys
foYcsd to gut killing and buy dressed
beef from tle west. When the west.
ern men had secured control they put up
the price high enough to justify their lose
previous to obtaining control.
Ssnstor Vest-Hss the western dressed
beef interest obtained control Of the New
York msrkei2
Witness-Only aoout 50 per cent.
Senator Vsst-What prices do they gel
for their NEST In New York?
Witness-Just about the same as the
local butchers. They are content to keep
US from making money in hope we will be
forced out OF business altogether or b.
compelled to handle dressed beef.
Ssnitor Vest-Is there shy difiereDca
between the prices Of American dressed
beef In London and the beef killed there?
Witness-There Is. Cattle killed in
England command higher prices.
A. ". Hilliard Of Midland, Tex, stated
about yesr ago he Was negoEistir g
win the propFietors OF beef refrigerator
in E. Paso 10 supply them with cattle,
Gu. the negotiations fell throush
because the Ell PAso people were
closed out. TIE Southern Pscific
rsilwsy refused to supply the CARS for the
transportation of dressed beef to Los
Angeles, having 3 contract with Chicago
people which compelled them to exclude
the Ell Psso people.
Richard Grsyi general freighs agent OF
the Pacific system Of the Southern Pacific
Railway Company, with Office at San Frln-
cisco, was examined at his own request
He wished to get on record
A DENIAL OF THE STATEMENT
made by Mr. billiard and another wit
ness With reference to the CON psny's re-
fusal to furnish refrigerator csrs at Ell
Psso. This statement could not be true,
as the company never hsd any Iefrigera.
tor cars in Its equipment.
George Beck Of Detroit; Mich, butcher
and cittle dealer for the last fifteen Yeas,
testified the dressed beef organization
had been the means Of crushing out small
butchers throughout the East
and concentrating the cattle buslnsts
at Chicago. A few years ago
ct least fifteen men il this
city came west and bought cattle to sell
in the east. Now they could not do thss
because the eastern markets were closed
up. His idea WAS the butchers of the
east dare not cut up the cattle they get
hold Of, for fesr the combine would close
down on them and drive them out of
business. The dressed beef men had
been ut Detroit with .heir meat only ore
year, consequently the fight in that cisy
Was new. About Q year ago the witness
sud others organized sn association IN
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