The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-05-18
The Pa cific Meat Market.
To THE EDITOR

10 IHE EDITOR
A few weeks ago, an agent of the
Pacific Meat Co. a giant monopoly
which seeks to establish itself in every
town and city on the coast J went to
the proprietors of Our local meat mar
kets and demanded that they should
| cease Strengthening their own cattle
and buy supplies of them only, with
threat that if they refused to purchase
of this Company they would put in an
opposition market and crowd them out
of business. In pursuance of this
policy this hydra-headed monopoly
have already established themselves
| in town, renting building from the
proprietor of one of the leading hotels,
| and sending man to board at
| another, thus virtually compelling
| these men to patronize them. And by
other means propose to compel the
people of Shelton and vicinity to pur-
chase their supplies of them. The
question is, will the people of Shelton
assist them in driving their old friends
and fellow citizens out of business?
Will they be the willing instrument
i'll fastening a monopoly upon them
selves which will result in injury to
| themselves and the whole country
round about? For whatever Injuries
the town Injuries the country and vice
versa. A good market town is neces-
sary to the development of the sur
rounding country; and a town can
never rise to it's highest degree unless
the surrounding territory is properly
developed. = lF
This concern will buy no stock only
in car load lots at trade centers, thus
affording no market for the numerous
ranchers in this vicinity who are just
beginning to give their attention to
the raising of stock. There are but
few farmers in the county that are
able to market their stock in car load
lots, and as consequence they will be
compelled to practically give their
stock away. They propose to do q
land office business without paying
any taxes and certainly should be
classed with Tramp peddlers, steam
ers and auction outfits mentioned in
the last issue of the JOURNAL.
It is time people should awake to
practical anti-monopoly and discard
the mere theoretical cry of anti
monopoly inspired by demagogues.
There are lines of business and bust
ness enterprises that cannot be Sue
cessfu1ly conducted except by large
capitalists or com binations of capital.
These are the legitimate fields for
large capitalists, but to crowd out
small business enterprises that can as
we'll be conducted in every community
is an outrage On humanity. The meat
business will become a greater outrage
upon the rights of the people than
even the cracker business as at pre-
sent conducted.
The producer, carrier and manufac-
turer of a barrel of flour realize at
jobbing rates about S3.25. Said bar
rel of -four simply converted into COM
mon soda crackers jobs for about SIS.
The farmer carrier aud miller with all
their various expenses, appliances
labor and intricate machinery realize
S3.25, the simple cracker factory $1f.25.
The consumer must pay $18 to $40 per
barrel for flour in common crackers in
order to sustain gigantic cracker
trusts. It will be the same if a meat
trust is fastened upon the country
low prices for stock, high prices for
meat This monopoly may, it is true,
supply the people with me lat at lower
rate for short time, but-we11 it is
useless to enlarge on the out come.
Every business crowded out of the
country will reduce the value of pro-
perty and raise the taxes. Besides it
is not right to crowd our own citizens
out of employment for the benefit of
nonopollsts.
A tramp contractor secures a Job of
work in our midst, hires all his help,
brings all his supplies from abroad
and contributes not cent to the bene-
tit of the town or country, and yet
these sharks would consider them
selve entitled to the protection of our
expensive courts. The Company that
pursues such vil1ainous policy should
be made to feel the indignation of the
people. and that they are unworthy of
the protection of the laws.
| SYLVAN.