The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-09-03
AFFAIRS OF THE RAILWAYS.
y,ressed-Beef and Live Stock Rates.

The senatorial committee, yesterday. at
Chicago, began the investigation of ques-
ton which has given railroad officials and
shippers Of dressed meats and live stock a
good deal of trouble. Judging from yes
terday's work, a complete and thorough
examination into the relative prices of
beef, both live and dressed, together with
the cost of transportation, will be made
The managers of different trunk lines Will
be called upon for testimony to throw light
on the transportation side of the case The
object of the work will be to enllghten
Congress on a subject of interest to the
consumers of meat. and bring about, pos
sibly, legislation which may in the end
have tendency to regulate the price per
pound.
According to the testimony given by Syl-
vanus Wilcox, of Elgin, a man of large ex-
perience in buying and selling cattle, as
well as the handling of dressed meat, there
has been a steady decline in the value of
beef cattle during the LAST few years,
without any decline in the price to the
consumer. This was point the Senators
seemed deeply interested in. Senator Vest
did not hesitate to show his surprise when
he learned that, although during the last
ten years the Average price of beef cattle
had fallen off nearly 100 per cent, the con-
sumner was still paying just as much for his
sirloin and rump steak as ever-mOre- If
anything, In some cases.
Sllas II. Larkin, also of Elgin, was called.
He had been engaged In the cattle business
i'm Texas and elsewhere. altogether having
had about thirty years experience. He
came loaded with figures, which he gave to
the Senators as follows: The prices of live
cattle in the years named were as follows:
In 1880. S34. 70 per hundred weight; in 1881,
IL. in y in
n isss, IN s15 u.s. n isse. $500 per-
hundred weight. After reading his figures.
eloquent than words he took slap at the
railroads He complained that dealers
Throughout the country were refusing to buy
live stock, preferring to order the dressed
beef from Chicago. The idea brought out
was that the freight tariff on live stock
was higher than that on dressed beef. Thus
the smaller dealers considered 1T to their
advantage to buy in Chicago. This left
Chicago the control of the live stock mar
ket or, at least, created tendency in that
direction, according to the philosophy of
Mr. Larkin.
Following him came Mr.. E. L. Jeffrey, of
the Illinois Central railroad.
You are the general manager, believer
said Senator Coke.
That's my position"
Then began a system of questions and
answers that was interesting. He admitted
beef we're greater than for dressed beef.
Senator Vest drew out the general man
;ager on the subject of the contracts the
railroad companies might enter into.
men at the Union Stocky ards, were ex-
samined. The witness, apparently, most
inter esting to the Senators and to Senator
Vest. was Thomas Brown, who deals in ex,
port cattle. Years ago." he said. I'VE had
plenty of buyers. and if a man could not get
his figure he went on to New York or
Albany with his shipment. But the rail-
roads stopped this by crushing out these
shippers. and the wrecks of many of them
are to be seen about the yards to-day. as
the result of the old monopoly. The rail
roads all had their pets and they ruined
Western shippers. The dressed-beef trade
has killed the live-cattle dealers of to-day"
why are present prices so lowW
IL think you will find they are about
what they were before the war. Then there
has been an increase from 4.500,O00 head to
100000. The craze for cattle-raising of
five. or six years. ago may account for the
surfeit of to-day"
What do yon think of an international
inspection lawf"
free on one side of the water as on the
other. We have always afforded even ia
.cilitles for shipping and inspecting cattle.
and Europe has never done So"
Mr.. Brown said the dressed beef men
were not frightened by pluero-pneumonia
Because Europe would not take live cattle
the price went down. and they were bene-
fitted accordingly; He said, also, that the
portions of beef that could not be dressed
could be disposed of otherwise.
Refused the Dividend.
CINCINNATI. o., Sept. 2.-The Little
Miami railroad. from Cincinnati to Xenia,
is under lease to the Pittsburg, Cincinnati
g. st. Louis railway, of the Pennsylvania
system. Under that lease the Pennsylvania
road guarantees per cent. dividend on
about S6,OOO,OOO of the stock of the
Little Miami, the interest on some Column
bus IL Aenla railway bonds included. To-
day the installment of dividends on stock
thus guaranteed amounting to S126, Az. 40,
was permitted to go unpaid by the Penn
sylvania g9arant.rs. This lapse is caused
by q wrangle between the parties concerned
as to the terms of the lease.
Directors and Officers Elected.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
VINCENNEs, Ind, Sept. "A meeting of
the stockholders of the Vincennes, Oakland
City 81 Owensboro railroad was held here
to-day, and elected directors as follows:
G. w. Bransford, Edward Watson, W. NJ.
Cockrum. G.. Pelzer, A. l.. Powers. j. G..
Haines. S. N. Chambers, J. B. Cockrum, w
A. Oliphant. The directors then elected
the following officers: Edward Watson.
u.
w. Bransford, secretary; w. A. Ohphant,
treasurer; j. b. Cockrum, general solicitor.
The road will be pushed through to COM
pletion at once.
Traffic Notes.
On Friday last 1867 cars were transferred
over the Belt road, being the largest move
ment in any twenty-fOur hours in the
history of the road.
On Friday last 1.222 loaded cars were
handled on what is known as the Chicago
division of the Big Four, which extends
from Cincinnati to Kankakee.
Belt road engines in August handled f. 100
carloads of live stock, against 3073 car
loads III the corresponding month of 1888
an increase this year of ,126 cars.
The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis
handled at this point last week 947 loaded
cars, the largest number ever handled Ill
any week in the history of the road.
re were transferred over the Belt
in the month of August 57.544cars
st 81 S42 in the corresponding month
G 8; IS, 40 in 1887, 81 1903 in 1885, 1867 III
S6,lS5 III 1884, and 81, 314 in 1883.
Some idea of the growth of manufactur.
ing interests on the West Side may be
formed from the fact that last month the
Belt road engines placed 1883 loaded cars
on sidings leading to such establishments.
Four years ago 1000 to 1000 cars would
cover fhe busiuesS