Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-04-12
Is BEEF TOO HIGH?
A Questi-n Secretary Morton
Is investigating.
INDICATIONS OF WORK CT A TRUST,

But the Secretary eeems to Think the
Causes Of the Raise May he Legitimate
Wants to Ksow, However, What the
"Big Four Is Doing--Insfructions for
People Who Have to Pay Income Tax
Hunt for Stamp Counterfeiters.
WASHINGTON, April IL. - Secretary
Morton is investigating an alleged trust
that has put up the price Of beef SO high
that porter-house steaks are ''Out Of
bank account to buy q soup-bone. The
secretary said on this subject to an As
sociated Press reporter: 1.-THE increase in
the price Of cattle has been quite remark.
able and certain fluctuations seem unac-
countable. 1t would appear that the prim-
ary cause Of the increased price is that
the supply is decreasing while the de-
mand is constant or increasing. In Texas
there are not ten cattle today to hundreds
short time ago. And the four points, so
called-Chicago, Kansas City, st. Louis
and Omaha-where cattle are Slaughtered,
are falling off in their supply to the
market. The reduction last year was
142, 2,3i7 head of cattle, as compared with
the year before.
The American Wants the Best.
The Chicago production fell off 209. 59s
head and Omaha "A, I'll, while Kansas
City increased A, sol and st. Louis 10 i6l,
haking a net reduction as stated. This
reduction naturally would bring an in
crease Of price to the consumer. Then,
too, corn-fed cattle are preferred, and our
nf fan off al lase
year. This in a part explains the falling
of in production of high grade cattle.
And it is n marked feature of the Ameri-
can consumer that he wants the very best
grade of cattle and the choicest parts
sirloins and porterhouse, rather than the
more nutritive round or neck" Still the
secretary has ordered his subordinates in
the several centers OF the cattle trade to
ascertain and report certain facts that
will throw light on the subject.
still Hunt for . Cattle Trust.
He asks DIR. Salmon to produce sta.
tistics of various kinds that will enable
him to arrive at n conclusion whether
the cattle trust is at the bottom of the
increased prices. He asks Salmon: "Be
kind enough to instruct the agents of the
burci III of animal industry Of the United
States department Of agriculture, where
ever they may be stationed, to collect
aud send in as rapidly as possible all re-
liable data at their command which may
tend to truthfully show what diminu-
tion, if any, there is in the cattle supply
of the United States for the year 1895,
as compared with previous years" and
to make thorough inquiry as to whether,
in their Judgment there is any combina-
ton IN violation of law by which a cat.
10 -. ,.Nf hoo
products. while it is putting down the
per capita price of CATTLE
Has Been Reading the Papers.
Morton's inquiry rs to the influence of
the alleged trust are in part directed by
current statements as to the influence
which the Big Four have in depressing
the price of live cattle. His attention has
recently been called tn u statement that
when a consignment of cattle was offered
in Kansas City 81 cents was offered; that
when the same consignment was taken to
ST. Louis S cents was offered, and that
when taken to Chicago 2s cents was Of
fercd. Ii was asserted that these fluctua-
tions were due to the ability of the big
Four" to rcpress prices. Morton says that
while this explanation seems reasonable
on its face he does not consider it suf-
ficient
Chicago Man Says Its "Rot."
He says that if there was demand for
live cattle the price would go up regard
less of the combine. His inquiry, he
added, is designed to bring out just what
influence the big Four" has on prices.
Apropos of the subject a Chicago tele-
gram quotes c. NJ. Favorite, of the Ar
mour company, as saying: "The state
ment that the appreciation in price is the
outcome Of n combine among the meat
men is simple rot. There are too many
people in the business to permit the con-
summation of such a scheme Beef is up
md will stay up all this year. 1t is sim
ply an cxcmplification of the conditions
which govern the laws Of supply and de-
mand the world over. a short corn crop
means n shrinkage in the cattle industry.
Unlike the hog output it takes years to
build up the cattle herds"
INCOME TAX INSTRUCTIONS