The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-07-18

may be judged from the TACT that
four million cattle were transported
from Chicago to New York between
the years 1871 and 1879. When
dressed beef became such an impor-
tant article of commerce the evener
combination dissolved. But it only
gave place for another form Of favor
itism. Two powerful combinations
OF railroads one known as the Cen
trail Traffic Association, and the 9TH
er known as the Trunk Line Associa-
ton, have such a power as to be
able to control all cattle and beef
shipments. These shipments are
confined to the railroads, as there
are no cattle shipped by way OF the
lakes. These two railroad freight
combinations work together. At
their head is the President OF the
Pennsylvania,-railroad. The senate
report o~the transportation and
sale>sf beef products reads:
(Consolidated in purpose, and un-
der the management OF able men
whose lives are devoted to corporate
interests, there can not be imagined
an organization more potent than
this combination.
The following will show how the
beef combine got control OF the
dressed beef business. Testimony
of Thomas Brown:
lam in the live stock business at
the Union Stock Yards commenced
there twenty-three years ago-I deal
in the heavier corn fed cattle for ex-
port.
O. At what time did the dressed
beef system obtain "A. The dressed
beef interest started-I can not tell
YOU the year-with the refrigerator
patent. There was man trying to
sell patent refrigerator for meat to
be sent to the East, and Swift was
fortunate enough to buy it. The
start Of the trade was that refriger-
ator patent. 1t was offered to a
friend OF mine and he could have
made a fortune out of it, but he re-
fused to buy it because he could not
see how he could use it. Swift was a
shrewd Yankee and saw how he
could use it, and he did use it.
@. What has been the effect OF
dressed beef upon the market here ?
A. The dressed-beef men killed the
live-cattle men virtually, although
the live-cattle trade is enormous
You can see from the statistics that
in the last few months it has been
very large, owing to the big demand
from abroad. The Worlds Fair in
Paris has perhaps caused a tremend-
Gus export demand for our beef. All
Europe is eating good beef this year
Next year propably it will all be
changed"
All of these refrigerator cars are
controlled by the dressed beef men
and a strong proof OF the utilization
between the railroads and the dressed
beef men is shown bv the following
facts.
On these refrigerator cars the rail
roads allow the owners three quar-.
tiers OF cent for each mile handled
as a rental, this applys to both
ways. so, on trip from Chicago to
New York and back, they receive
SIS. But they do not extend this ia.
vor to owners Of private cars such as
palace cattle cars run over the same
ground, i. e. Chicago to New York
but do allow it from points west to
Chicago, the object being to concen-
trate the cattle trade at Chicago
The business of owning the refriee-
ator cars is profitable as shown by
the following statement:
New YORK CENTRAL AND HUDSON
RIVER RAILROAD COMPANY, GRAND
CENTRAL STATION,
New YORK, Janury 31st, 1890
S1R-In accordance with your re.
quest at the hearing before your
committee at Washington, January
%, 1890, l have the honor to give
the following estimate of the profits
from mileage on refrigerator cars.
have been able to obtain the
mileage made by a number of refrig.
orator cars for the year 1887, and
| think that nv oSfim 70 ,s moo NV, az,
rect, except that quicker time, and
consequently more mileage, is un-
doubtedly made now than in 1887.
Cost for car. 900
Earnings per car per year at
three-fourth cent per mile. 1913
Repairs So per month. .......$72
Depreciation 6 per cent. of
60 per cent 36
1OS
Profit (Sa per cent. .......... S5
The yearly depreciation is fiuurod