The morning call., 1893-03-24
BUTCHERS KNITTED.
Why the Retailers Are
Startled.
A sPECTER FROM BADEN.
The Big Packers Are Opening Stores
With Cheap Prices and Fight
Is Ahead.

The retail butchers of the city have de-
clared war on the Baden wholesalers.
They are going to organize all association.
secure all the cooperation they can from
the wholesale butchers at Butchertown and
then start out with al least the idea of wag-
ing war on the great packing establishment
down the bay until some kind of bitter
end is reached.
This was the idea underlying a mass
meeting of the retail butchers held last
evening to devise ways of making an organ
ized fight.
Beef and pork often goes up" in time
OF war, but in tins case prices will go down.
and so long as tenderlons are sold by rival
shops regardless OF cost" there will be
few TO suggest arbitration while the war
is on.
The situation is an illustration Of the
connection that often exists between cause
and effect. When the Baden people got
ready To sell meat they asked the retailers
TO patronlze them, and they would not.
The big lntruderS concluded that If the
retail butchers would not patronZe them
they would find somebody that would, and
so 1t appears prepared plans to open or get
opened retail shops that would handle their
lightning-killed, machine dres sed, relriger-
ated products.
Retail butchers have Just begun 10 feel
sort OF depressing Influence that must have
come from some place where meat was 60
Ing cheaply. and nave wakened up with
start 10 the fact that the Baden people are
opening rival stores Ia their fields OF trade,
and quoting prices that get the business.
1t is said that the Baden people threatened
the retailers that If they did not buy
Baden meat they would be run out of buSi-
ness, and the alarmed retailers now say
that that sort Of movement has been be-
gun.
Some time ago. ii is said. retail butcher
shop selling refrigerated meats was estab-
lished in the Mission When this shop had
been running short while the retail
butchers of that part Of the Mission noticed
their trade dwindling away, and on inyesti-
cation they fonnd that this new refrigerator
store was selling meat cheaper than the re-
tail butchers could buy 1t themselves.
A short willis ago another store selling
refrigerated meats was established In the
meat lower than the retail butchers could
buy it at ButchertOwu. and retail butchers
in town also found their trade dwindling
away.
After n very close inves tigation the re-
tailers claimed they found that the Baden
wholesalers had carried their threats into
effect and were selling their meat to the
public at even lower than wholesale prices.
The retailers also claim that Wilson does
not own the stores.-that be is only acting
The retailers continued to battle with the
new stores, but not receiving much aid
from :he wholesalers at Butchertown, their
trade gradually dwindled away, until some
OF them claimed they were not able to pay
expenses.
At last. seeing the futility OF battling any
longer ngle-handled, movement was set
on foot to organize union to fight the new
monopoly, and meeting OF retail butchers
Ia Nereln Eintracht Hall last night was the
.1f,g ~.
what could be done to protect themselves
against the Refrigerated meat shop mo
nopoly," as they term it.
There was quite an attendance Of retail
dealers, and two or three wholesalers from
ButchertOwn were there without taking any
active part.
After long delay H. C. Elageollet
stepped upon the stage and recIted the his
tory of their grievances. He said: "Gentle-
men, we are here tonight to organize an
association TO protect ourselves from an
association which, If allowed TO continue
will drive US from our homes.
These people, who claim to be retailers,
are nothing but wholesale men doing buS-
ness under an assumed name. They have
tried the same business in all the large
Eastern cities, and the result Is that the
retail butcher trade in those cities is de-
pressed, and the only persons who make
any money are these wholesalers.
They have now started in our midst, and
what we want to do. gen tlemen, is to unite
and with the assistance OF our wholesalers
fight them to the end. We do not want to
compromise with them. What we want is
for them TO move their retail stores from
this city. and until then we will make 1t
very hot for them"
Mr.. Flageolet then made a motion that
all those present in sympathy with the new
movement sign their names to an agree
ment not TO patro3jze the Baden shops until
their retail stores are removed from this
city. The motion was subsequently with
drawn, as the association had not as yet
been organized
Another motion was made by John Nc
henOmy that the chair appoint a committee
of fourteen. including seven retailers and
seven wholesalers, to organize, and after
this was done the meeting adjourned
This committee will devise plan OF
organization and action and then something
or other will be done. Perhaps il will be
war to the knife.