The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-04
Qhe Sntrlliaft1ter.
olliesl Nus. 20 apd ~ Fourteenth Street,
TUE DRESSED BEEF MONOPOLY,

The Eject OF It's Workings on the Cattle
business OF This state,
Correspondence 40uRdtvile Herad
By your permission l would like To
call the attention OF your many readers
to the Dressed Beef Monopoly OF Chi
cago and Kansas City and the effect it Is
having on the products Of our State and
OF the United States, aud II possible
arouse every consumer and producer
alike to our immediate duty, Ineed not
90 outside OF the experience Of every
farmer for the last few years to hear the
cry OF depression in cattle and mutton
sheep. We naturally look to the cause
and find II in those two establishments
named above, commonly known as the
big Four" The work OF the Senate
cattle trade investigating committee,
which began at st, Louis recently, and
the the Butchers National Protection As.
ISOLATION, held in thai city, have revealed
the fact that the dressed beef COmbina,
ton Of Chicago and Kansas City use
pernicious means to control beef pro.
duets Of the country, reducing the pur.
chaser's price without lessening the cost
to the consumer, II opens shops in the
towns OF the country for the purpose Of
driving every one who does not handle
It's meat out OF the business; after
which the price Of meat is advanced
higher than 1t was before, It controls
the western commission men by refus.
ing to buy from them II they sell To
other butchers. The small farmers and
feeders are at the mercy OF the cOmblna.
ton, 1t adllterates the food products Of
the country in the form OF refined lard,
q mixture OF cotton seed oil and animal
lat, thus destroying the reputation OF
our food products abroad, thus running
our export trade. 1t secures cut rates
over railroads to the cost und rebates so
that small firms cannot compete, Every
producer oil cattle knows that the bust
ness has been in deplorable condition
Tor three or four years; and that the de-
preston began with the advent OF the
dressed beef combination. Nothing
could be more natural than to associate
the two as cause and effect which has
engaged the attention OF Congress, and
the Senate appointed committee TO in
yestigAte the subject us stated above, at
st. Louis. Here Is some testimony that
was brought forward. George Beck,
Detroit butcher testiHes that the dressed
eefmonopoly had crushed ont all butch
ers throughout the eastand concentrated
the cattle business at Chicago. Seventy
five per cent OF the butchers east Of
Chicago had been compelled to buy
dressed beef, and when the local market
had been destroyed, the price OF dressed
beef IL higher than before. John Duff
stated that he had been driven out OF
Cheboygan, Michigan, by Armodr 4 Co. |
In twenty.six towns Of Michigan, outside
OF Detroit, meat was one cent higher
than In Detroit, and the local butchers OF
all these towns were bankrupt. VIM.
Peters, OF Pittsburgh, butcher OF thirty
years experience, said the cattle trade ut
that point bud greatly fallen of since the
dressed beef organization had gained
control. Thus | might 20 on and show
by many other witnesses that in every
case the consumer has had to pay more
for his meat, while the farmer has had TO
suffer the loss OF the cost Of production.
1t has only been a few years since, at this
season oil the year, We got from A to 8
cents per pound in the country, and now
the same kind Of cattle We get from 9 to
8 cents pound. This you can see would
be $50 at tho least, difference on a 1000
pounds. In conversation the other
day with a very prominent stock buyer,
he said: "You farmers think hard Of us
for not paying more for. your stock.
Here is the situation We are placed in.
] often go to Wheeling with the best cat.
tie can get. II | ask something like q
fair price, | can't get anyone to look at
1t. The butchers so to the freezers
and buy n quarter Of a half or
whatever they need for their customers
and compel me to take tho price paid
for inferior stock which is sold very read.
lily and sent to Chicago and slaughtered
and sent in all directions to compete"
This agrees with u st. Louis correspond
Gnt OF the Chicago Times; he says: 1.-THE
shipper who wants cheap cattle for Chi.
cago is always on hand when q lot OF
lumpy.jaws are in the pen. Some time
since IN unusual number Of the poor
beasts came, In one day; and an enter.
prising dealer gathered them up till he
had Il car load, which he promptly
shipped to Chicago" Common report
has established the fact that the poor,
the manned, the halt, the blind and the
diseased fluid their way to the Chicago
stock yards, and in the absence OF
proper inspector much goes into the
slaughter house and thence in tho shape
Of dressed beef to tho markets OF the
country. What now is the remedy for
this great curse? II Is within our easy
reach II We will lay hold and lot producer
and consumer petition their respective
Legislators throughout every county in
State to enact IN inspection law. will
give the first resolution that was passed
by the Association spoken Of above:
"RCsOigsd, That for the purpose OF
raising the beef products above the sus.
picion OF disease and re.establish COM
petitive cattle markets, We earnestly
recommend to the Legislatures OF the
several States and Territories the en-.
actment Of live stock inspection laws.
Requiring all towns and cities 10 ap.
point inspectors, whose duty II shall be
10 condemn all beef which does not
come from cattle inspected by them on
hoot and found to be healthy
/ hope, Mr.. Editor, have said enough
on this subject, and that you may lay 1t
before your readers and call the atten.
ton Of the different papers published
throughout the State TO DO likewise, that
the people will act In time. Respect
fully yours, DENNIS WILLIAMS.
What West Virginia Is Doing.
TO he Editor of he IntslliOeneer.
sR: The Pennsylvania State Grange
at It's last session appointed n committee
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