The National tribune., 1888-05-24


1900 pound beef IN Chicago IN lsS1 ranged from
$40 in January 70 $3.50 in November, max
ing an everage of SLI9 for the year. These
were for the best of the cattle marketed.
Senator Beck inquired as 10 what extent our
foreign trade had been embarrassed by false
pretenses Of diseased cattle, which had tend
encv to divert the trade In our cattle from the
West to Canada. because then the English
authorities would accept clean bills of health
from their own officers, while similar bills
would not be received from our officers at New
York and Boston.
Senator Henderson admitted that there had
been a great falling of, and probably for the
reason assigned by the Senator from Kentucky.
Continuing the discussion OF the value OF beef,
Senator Henderson submitted the following
table OF what an average steer can produce when
he comes 10 be sold by the butcher TO the con-
sumer; the weight Of the steer IS placed at 200
pounds:
as pounds OF porterhouse steak At Is cents, s. %
Gu pounds OF ssrloiu steak al IS ceuts....... 90
% pounds Of round steak. at u cents.----- II 90
50 pounds Of best rib at Il ceUts.....-...,..- 90
lis pounds Of chuck rib at cents. as
j. pounds OF rump. AZ cents.-..-----.-.---.-- 81
10 pounds OF s0upleat. at ceuts-.....-....- -
10 pounds Of .t az = >
pounds Of bones, at = Cent-..-.-.-.--...-..---.
80 pounds o. cOfn-oeeI al cents -----.-.s j on
Making SIS pounds Of the beef available for
what are the usual purposes Of the butcher;
that is 10 say. sale TO his customers at retail.
The tongue. liver and heart bring 81. What
is known as the fifth quarter" being the
head tallOW, horns, hOols and olal, bring $3.50,
making the amount received for the whole
beef S63IL II we are correct in our idea
that the average cost Of the beef in the CHI
eago market Is 50. IL leaves a profit TO some
one or 10 ali who intervene between the cattle
producer aud the consumer Of SSH for each
steer bought and sold. DcdUctiug for freight
allowance 10 the retailer SSH, leaves q net
profit on each head Of cattle Of so.
II il 50 be that this entire profit Of $50 a
head is received by these great packers that not
only xiii and pack and can, but who also IN all
the beef markets OF this country maintain not
only wholesale but retail establishments, and If
this entire profit Of SO a head goes to them, 1t
makes the enormous sum Of S5i,642,2l0 as
divisible profits Tor these Eve concerns for the
year I6s7, rather snug sGm for their profit
when one considers their investment.
Senator Cullum believed that the resolution
ought 70 be brOa2encd in scope SO as to
secure al the iBfgl lnation necessary 10 the de-
veiopment Of facts affecting the prices Of beef
and cattle. lie had accordingly proposed IN
amendment which gas now pending, looking
70 thai end Iie was anxious that the most
thorough investigation should be made for the
ascertalullcuI 81 all the facts pertaining 10 TINS
traffic 50 that ID might result in benefit 10 the
masses Of the people uf this country. lie
wanted 70 say IA behalf OF Chicago that not
only ia controlling the beef market Of tie
country, but ia almost every other business
carried Oh "a Tic Is est Chic COS success had not
depended UHUu legislation and had not de-
pended upon trusts but Was the result of tie
enterprise, energy and force OF the people OF
Chicago ia carrying on the business Of that
great city The trouble was that ST. Louis had
been going 10 sleep while Chicago WIS wide
awake and looking after trade. he was per
1eCtly wIlliBgtJ have tAe Cattle-buying firms OF
Chicago investigated and their operations fully
Land bare 10 TIE public, and if they had been
doing wrong and interfering uulawfuIly with
the great body Of the people Of this country,
and 81 there was anything tHat could be done
10 protect the people both the buyers and the
sellers, tic vas anxious 10 do il. lie wanted 70
inquire If there was any trust anywhere that
was rObbiug the people and further, that the
trunk lines. traffic associations, and any Of
those combinations which were responsible foI
the transportation Of beef he inquired into.
Senator PlumO was Inclined 10 think as the
Senator from Illinois did about charging all
things 10 Chicago If the great city Of 81. LUui:
had done its duty perhaps Wg should not be
il the condition Wc are now. II ID had awaited
itself Of its opportunities and had made St
Louis an independent market in fact as in
name there would have been that competition
which would have maintained prices al a le
climate level, and undoubtedly would have
relieved Us from The complaints which now
exist, aud would have prevented the accumu
latlOn Of tins great business IL the hands Of
Few persons a. Chicago. But ST. Louis had beer
Wslll,E D. play second IGGic. il had aJT0gatel
its claim 90 metropolitan functions as a grea
trade center and had been willing 10 be tht
echo o. tie operations Of the Chicago marke
both DO regard % cattle and I'D grain. This wa
very great misfortune. The markets Of 81
Louis were regulated to-day by those Of Chi
cago, and practically the same persons purcuas
q I... So. 81 gr
Chicago. The same Influences controlled th
business Ot the tEo places aud ID was just as tlu
ol ST. Louis rs i WAS Of Chicago that ID dared no
Jill up Us voice against OF Go anything to ia
uctumeut 81 lae combination that coutr5lle
this great business
after further debate the resolution wa
agreed 10.
The bill To place Gen. " W Avereu on tn
retired list with tie rank u Captain was take
NJ and discussed briefly, but passed over with
out prejudice.
The House Of Representatives resolved Il
self into Committee Of the Whole for IA
discussion 81 the tariff Several Members al
dressed The Committee, among them Mr.. Da
EEL Pa.
blr Dalzeil said he rose not TO make a speec
ia defense Of the Protective system, but
correct some gross Eisstatcmeuts Of fact Wlic
had been made on the floor of the House wit
respect 10 certain Of the industries Of his di
and absurd conclusions sought 20 be drawn fro
these miscellaneous, and 10 protest against ia
pertinent intrusion into the private affairs
certain Of his constituents and misrepresent
ton with respect thereto.
! take my text he said, from the extr
ordinary screed read on Friday last by the ge
tiemau from the Erie District Of Penngylvan
(AE. Scott, in which lac saw fit TO class himse
with statesmen and TO characterize as a Bou
bon aud q demag0g, with has mouth full
catcbwOres, every member Of that large 81
respectable class Of persons who do not belle
that political economy is an exact science
the gentleman from Erie a statesman. ] shs
not stop TO discuss the gcutlemans claims to D
lofty title, nor 10 explore with precisi
which might he distastefai, SO as TO exact
locate q demagog with his mouth full
eatchw0rds. Nor shall / stop 10 follow hi
into the learned proposition which he holds
matter Of constitutional law. Upon the on,
tiou Of c0nst itutional authority 10 levy a pl
tectige tariff ! am a Bourbon 10 the exte
thar he origin Of the Constitution, the practi
Of tie Republic for q hundred years, the OBJ
ions Of the fathers and the decisions of [
supreme Court are amply satisfying to nay co
serFative mind