The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-05-13

lar more tAltuuth hAAp Nii'N'A
supposed and had combination been formed
all the towns in this valley would have been
affected by it,
The movement was started here ana
interest in it was aroused by the circulation
of printed statements setting forth that
through the summer months the cost OF beef
is very high; that for some time past the
butchers have expressed "a feeling OF DIS
satisfaction with the way beef is selling and
also find it hard work to meet their running
expenses"
Pursuant to this notice meeting was held
in this town and was attended by butchers
/ from Girardville, Gilberton, Mahanoy Plane,
Mahanoy City, Ashland and all but two of
the butchers of this town, who were the
Messrs. Stout and Hoehlers.
Fortunately for the people the plan failed
and no combination on prices was made.
gentleman who attended the meeting says
! that it broke up in a wrangle.
When it was first opened George Rohland,
of the firm of Rohland Bros, was called upon
to act as chairman. He declined. He
thought the people who put the movement
. on foot should step to the front and, more
over, he had been induced to attend the
meeting against his will and did not propose
favoring an advance of prices at the present
time; too many people were out of work.
He said as far as he was concerned he could
get along with the present prices until times
got little better.
Then, according to the HERALD's iufor-
mant there was a lively time during which
Mr.. Rohland left the meeting. Later on
organization was effected by the election of
Morris Wurm as chairman and Thomas
Mayberry, manager for the Shenandoah Beef
Company, secretary; but this arrangement
availed nothing for during the arguments
that followed there were some hot exchanges
which eventually led to breaking up of
the meeting in wrangle as above stated.
In speaking of the affair gentleman said
yesterday, THE movement was made in
very bad season, as the HERALD stated
| Thursday evening. When the times are so
hard by reason of the colliery suspensions
and people can hardly buy meat at the
/ present prices, how can they be expected to
: meet an advance of ION steak, for instance)
from 10, l24 and IA cents per pound to Is
cents? But there is another view to take of
this matter. The very people who are now
scrambling for high prices were the first to
bring them down to what they are to-day in
order to get control of the trade. This
meeting was held in the Shenandoah Beef
COmpany's place and the manager of the
! company was one of the chief spokesmen
and the secretary of the meeting. What has
the Shenandoah Beef Company done for the
butchers of this town? Nothing but to cause
an abandonment of the home slaughter
houses and flood the town with dealers. The
Western beef has come in and killed the
home dealers. 1t has started in the business
men who knew no more about cutting steak |
, from a piece of beef than they knew about |
diving for pearls. When the butchers were I
killing their own beef and getting good |
prices the Shenandoah Beef Company offered |
meat at ruinous prices and every man who |
owned Il hatchet, a saw and carving knife |
and enough money to hire horse and wagon |
started in cutting up meat and selling il at /
almost what it cost MS to buy the live cattle /
People wanted the cheapest prices and we |
were obliged to fall into line and aecommo-
date them. Many of US held out for months /
and lost money by it and now the parties |
who caused us that loss want us to fall into
line and raise prices with them. l, for one,
intend to take my time about doing it, at
least until times get little better. I under
stand threat has been made that in case the
butchers should not agree to raise prices the
Shenandoah Beef Company viii raise its
prices anyway, and thus oblige the butchers
to make an advance. All | have to say is
that l hope the beef company will do So for
that would at once revive the old home
killing trade and the many practically idle
slaughter houses would be in operation again.
But slight advance ON the prices now
charged the butchers by that company will
warrant the dealers who know anything
about butchering in buying live cattle. The
Western beef companies are masters Of the
situation when it comes to low prices, but
when it tries to master the situation ON high
prices the butchers have it dead, and don't