The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-04-12
MANIFESTATION.
The Butchers Favor it-Quantities
OF Diseased Meat Sold In Mankato.

1 "GH - tNSF En- lISNs 49,
The Butchers Favor it-QuantitIes
OF Diseased Meat Sold In Mankato.
The meat inspection bill which has
passeu one branch of the Legislature
and is now pending in the other has
created as much general interest as any
bill introduced. 1t provides for the APP
pointment of inspectors in each city and
town, who shall inspect on foot all cattle
before they are slaughtered. Diseased
cattle are to be destroyed, and severe
penalties will be imposed on violators of
the law. The bill is aimed at tie great
dressed beef establishments at Kansas
City and Chicago, which successfully
compete with the slaughter houses of
the state, and is also intended to help
the st. Paul stock yards.
Mr.. John Schweitzer, one of the best
informed of our butchers. and a man
who has had large experience in the
cattle business, is outspoken in favor
of the proposed law, and presents
some very forcible arguments to show
that merely in financial way the pass
age of the inspection bill would rebound
greatly to the interests of the state
both to consumers and producers. He
cites the example of st. Paul and Min
neapolis- CITIES together having $50, 900
peopl = population which requires $50
to 30 head of cattle per day. Only
about 100 head are daily sold in these
cities, the balance being imported,
dressed, from Kansas City and Chicago.
by shutting this of, the farmers of the
state must furnish the remaining $50 to
300 cattle each day, increasing the de-
M lf n md hn ID - T.
of the twin cities the work that would
be furnished by Strengthening these CIT
tie and the new industries that would
spring up, will give employment to hum
dreds OF people and support to thou
sands.
In case the law does not pass, within
eighteen months Armour will come into
Mankato and will force all the butchers
to buy his meat. If they object, he will
start couple of markets, and by re-
ducing prices below cost will soon force
us to yield to his dIctatIon. After all
have been forced to buy of him he will
set the retail price so that there will be
a profit of five cents pound above the
wholesale, which itself will be higher
than what meat can be had for now.
The present profits are only two and a
half cents pound, 80 the consumer will
be Obliged to pay from three to five
cents more pound for meat, while the
farmers will have no market for their
cattle. 1t will also throw twenty-five
families in this city out of employment.
If butcher rebels he will be quickly
ruined.
We ought to have had the law long
time ago. The complaint of farmers
selling poor meat in the city is not of
such force as is the fact that scalpers are
going about the country buying ND all
the diseased and sick cattle they can
find at about $40 a head. These thew
dress and sell for from $50 to $40, but
still cheaper than butcher can afford to
do. This meat was sold in this city all
last winter. Butchers cannot always tell
the difference, and sometimes buy this
meat. If they afterwards find out about
it the meat is destroyed and becomes a
dead loss to them. Our citizens con-
sumo great amount of meat that is
wholly unfit to eat. In conversation
with several other local butchers our re-
porter learned their views:
JACOB Wagen-The best thing about
the law is that it would prevent farmers
from peddling diseased mes. about the
city. These farmers kill their cattle
that are rejected by the butchers as
being unwholesome and sell il to our
citizens by the quarter at cheap rates. /
have known of cattle having the black
leg and cancers to be sold in this man
ner. Bulls and stag hogs are also sold
in this way. If the law passes all these
cattle must be inspected before killed
and the farmer must show his certificate
before selling the meat. If the law is
not overdone it will be q good one. It'll
will stop Kansas City and Chicago
dressed beef from being imported into
the state. This beef is the best to be
had. 1t is thoroughly inspected at the
slaughtering and packing houses AS
thoroughly as it would be in this state.
Meat that is raised in this state cannot
compare with it. This competition is at
the bottom of the law, for Armour could
run out anything if he chose.
Theo. Sherk-The law will be a help
to the butchers and should be good
thing for the farmers, for the latter
should be willing to have their stock in
spected as well as the butchers. AS q
general thing now they sell from their
wagons what butchers reject.
E. N. Day-The law as understand
1t will be good thing. 1t will stop the
farmers selling diseased meat in the
city. They sell large quantities of il.
three cents per pound when the regular
price was five cents. In this way they
took legitimate trade from the butchers,
who can deal only In good meat. The
meat they sold was unfit to be put on
the market and couldn't be sold to
butchers on foot. Dressed meat should
also be inspected.
]. M. Karmany-The law is a good
one. 1t would oblige the farmers who
sell diseased meat to do their slaughter
ing in the city slaughter houses and pro-
tect the people from unwholesome meat.
Prices might 60 up little, but farmers
| would be likely to get better prices for
their stock, there being no competition.
There are arguments on both sides.
Montana cattle if brought alive are few
erish by the time they reach st. Paul,
while if slaughtered on the plains the
meat would be all right. There are
other arguments, but upon the whole l
favor the law.
Henry Hanson-Under the inspection
law the farmers would leave the butch
ers something to do in the winter. be-
lieve it would cause the farmers to raise
better beef, owing to the higher prices
to De obtained.
HI. G. Llndsley-The law would proba-
bly, be good thing. If the law was en-
forced the farmers could not sell their
bad meat. Much would depend on the
character of the inspectors. I think
such a law would help the state, for the
farmers would get higher prices for their
beef, there being no outside COMPETE
ton. .