Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-17
THE RETAILERS EXPLAIN
Their Cause in a Card to the Public.


To the Public:
The complaint raised by the public
that eXtortionate prices are being
charged by the butchers for fresh meat
is unjust. The butchers in general are
not guilty OF the charge, as we all
know. While we have to live we have
TO earn money to meet our expenses ana
obligations TO our fellow men. Our
competitors, (meaning the Western
houses) put their carcasses Of beef fromi
s to 10 cents per pound, commencing
near the first part of January, and last
ing into June. As butchers knew that
this was very high for beef, we con-
cluded to have our stock dealers bring
live cattle from the West, which they
did at a cost of from to 81 cents per
pound, live weight. The quotations
furnished by GOodhue & Co. at that
time were for home cattle only, which
were not sufficient to supply the de-
mand. Finding that our own killing
was near about the same price, after
taking off the hide and tallow, as our
competitors were selling for, we could
do no better. To save ourselves We had
to advance prices accordingly. These
prices were not sufficient to justify us
in the business. Since cattle have been
coming down, meat has come down ac-
cordingly, until our recent trouble.
Schenk & Sons, Weimer & Sons, G.
II. Medick and George Zoeckler, having
been members Of the Butchers Protect
i've Association, Of Wheeling, w. Va,
(Gustaye II. Medick having been a re-
taller when admitted into the Wheel
ing Butchers Protective Association,
but later on became manager of the
Home Dressed Beef Company, these
four being members of our association,
attended our meetings most regularly
and naturally had the inside track or
advantage of the two foreign houses.
the Wheeling Beef Company and the
Cleveland Provision Company. Natur-
ally il has caused more trouble by them
selling to groceries, for then these two
houses felt like doing the same. We
finally passed a resolution on June 26,
to take effect July 1, unanimously, in
their presence, to do away with this
trouble, they not to sell any more fress
meat to groceries.
On July Sd a special meeting was held
for general business, as complaint had
been made that Welmer & Son and
Schenk & Sons were charged with
violation of the rules, and they were
fined S. each, which stands still against
them on the books. Then on July 10th,
at our regular meeting, they sat among
us taking in everything that was
transacted, we not knowing that they
had a meeting the same afternoon, in
company with other wholesalers, to
violate our laws and ruin our assOcia-
ton if possible Well, what does the
public think of such men that pledge
their sacred honor and then do what
they did? We, the retail butchers, have
stood with the people through hard
times and panic, and carried many and
many one that had no work or money
to buy anything with. Just think of
that! VIII Swift & Co. do the same
thing for you? You certainly know
that their terms are cash only.
Well, then, the way they are selling
their fresh meat is in Jumps and chunks
at their cut prices, without any trim
ming of bones or tallow Try us, and
buy the same quantity in Jumps with
out trimming, and we can sell it at
the same price and do better than we
did before at former prices. Believing
that we were accused Of something thar
we We're not guilty Of, we, therefore,
make this explanation.
We remain yours very respectfully,
WHEELING BUTCHERS PROTECT
I'VE ASSOCIATION, OF WHEEL
ING, w. VA.