Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-02
THE MEAT QUESTION.
PROHIBITING THE SALE OF
WESTERN DRESSED MEAT.
What Is Said in Regard to the Bill
Introduced into the Legislature
of this State by Mr..
Whiteman.

oil CitlZenB III fe1erento W the uihttet.
One gentleman, a prominent business
man on Market street, said: 81 consider
this bill an outrage. We are abundsnty
able to Judge what we shall eat or drink
wi hout the interference OF the Legisla-
ture. have been using Chicago beef in
my family for at least two years, aud
have always found 1t healthy, nutritious
and cheap"
Another gentleman said: "Ii this mat
ter was left to vote oil the residents OF
.his city, the bill would be killed beyond
all hope of reeurrec ion. j have been
using this meat in my family in prefer
ence to any other ever since its introduc-
tio1 and we have never found any iault
with it. know that can buy roast
or sirloin steak from the Chicago meat
men cheaper than can get 1t els here,
and that it is just as juicy, far Iderer
and equally as nutritious as aIY ever
eat"
The k eper of a large RESTAURANT was
interviewed, and he taid, in reply TO the
questions of the. reporter: 81 consider 1t
fully equal to any meat that was ever
sold in this market, aud far superior to
much that we were supplied with few
years AGO. have used 1t In my estab-
ilshment ever since its introduction into
th 8 city, and have never heard any COM
plants. l consider any legislation which
would tend to prevent its sale in this
State as an infringement on the rights oil
the people,"
Several physicians were interviewed
| and all were unanimous In regard to the
| meat being healthy and nutritious in
every respect. One said that he has not
used any other kind of meat in his family
for the past two years, and he not only
found II cheaper, but fully as good as any
meat he had ever used.
Another said, when asked concerning
the reports Of It's being embalmed :
"Why, that is the most nonsensical thing
| / ever heard of. 1t would cost fully as
much as the meat Ia worth TO subject It
| to such a process, and b. sides that, as
all embalming fluids are poisonous, DO
one could eat 1t without being made
sick, and / have to hear of the tirst in
stance where any one has been made sick
by it's uee."
Several butchers who handle the
dressed meat were also called upon, and
one of them, who recently visited Chi
cago, said that he was surprised to find
the inspection SO close, and that he had
seen scores OF cattle slaughtered and sold
in this city that would not have been per-
mitted to enter the slaughter houses at
Chicago. Another, In referring to Mr..
Whiteman's bill, said: "If 1t was In
tended to benefit the public health, as II
is claimed it does, it would rigidly ex
clude all canued or cured meat from
being sold In this State, for If there is any
danger of disease there's where 1t is.
have handled thousands of pounds of the
dressed meat and use 1t in preference tc
any other In my own family, and you car
be sure that II l thought there was any.
thing wrong about 1t, l wouldn't dc
that"
Another butcher, when ask ed about the
price at which 1t has betn reported the
meat was wholesaled, said that 1t was un.
true. "Beeyes are worth t. 6 cents a
pound on the hoof In Chicago" he said,
land no one but crank would suppose
that the meat could be sent here aud sold
at 4 or s cents a pound wholes ale, as has
been reported. We pay q certain price
per pound for 1t, but assure you that 1t
is more than or cents, and while we
are obliged to sell some of what we call
the rough pieces, such as stewiDg meat
or toup pieces, for less than cost, We de-
pend on getting our money back and
making our profit on the choice cuts, but
even then we are able to sell them cheaper
than we formerly did the home meat. A
this city was in the hands OF a few men
who bought up all the cattle for miles
around, slaughtered them, and made us
pay just what they pleased for the meat.
Talk about moncpolies, II that wssnh
one l don't know the meaning OF the
word"
AIMING others seen was farmer re-
siding a few miles from this city. He
said that he was opposed to the bill now
before the Legislature as he thought II
was more for the interest OF a few
butchers than for the benefit OF thu
farmers. He WAS of the opinion that
stock raising had ceased to be profitable
In the East on account Of the railroad fa.
c lities for bringing cheap cattle from the
West and thought that ii the bill passed
1t would only result In the cattle being
brought here alive and sod at prices
with which the home raisers could moi
commence to compete. He also said
that long before the dressed meat wat
brought he:e the price paid him for cat.
tie by the butchers was so low that he
had stopp raising them for beef, bui
occasionally sold COW when 1t became
too old to be Of any further use.
Ano her farmer, who stopped In the
REPUBLICAN office, said that not long age
he had a young tow which he wished to
dispose cf, and as the butchers only oil.
fered him 81 for 1t he concluded to kill II
himself. He accordingly hired butcher
and after it was slaughtered kept on,
hundred pounds OF the meat for his OWL
use. The remainder he retailed in thii
city for $2l, besides selling the hide snt
tallow for enough to pay the butcher fo
his services. This fact goes to show tina
some one else besides the farmer would
be benefited If Mr.. Whiteman's bill
should become law.
The majority of those interviewed wer,
In favor OF the dressed meat and opposet
to the bill for Its exclusion. Still Their
were few who seemed to think that thu
people should, If 1t were possible to do st
by legislation, be compelled TO eat moth
ing except meat raised In this State
This class, however, were greatly in th'
minority, and there is no doubt ii a vot,
OF the people were taken on the bill nov
before the Legislature, it would be buriet
beyond the hope of resurrection. Th'
passage of this bill would mean an imme
dlate and considerable advance In th,
price OF meat. Any bill which proposes
to interfere with the commerce of an
other State is an infraction of the inter
state commerce laws of the United States
} and as such would be set aside by tn
| Federal courts.