New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-16
UNUSUAL PRICES FOR NEAT.
THE RESPONSIBILITY PLACED UPON THE
CHICAGO TRUST.


FISH AND Fowl. IN FAVOR IN
BOARDING HOUSES.
The extremely high prices o. beef and other meats
dera nded from owing TO the Chicago Beef
Trust have caused great inconvenience TO all classes
and entailed much suffering and prvatlon upon the
poor AS the trust mas extended It's influence over
the whole country, 70 community, great or small,
has escaped It's touch.
Armour e Co., Nelson Morris e. Co, George F. d
f. C. Swift, ard the G. H. Hammond Company,
the so-cal.ed big Four" ard the John Cudahy
Packing Company, OF Chicago. and the Schwarz-
schlld & sulzberger Company, OF this city, who act
with the Big Four" have taken particular pains
to deny that they have ever 'cornered, or even
attempted to corner" the neat or cattle market,
or TO control the ranch business in their own inter-
ests to the ds:riment and. In many instances, the
absolute ruin OF the ranchmen. Opposed 10 these
dcnia.s are the positive assertions OF thousands OF
roputlb!e rarchmen butchers and dealers IN meat
that the sI5errse that the great advance IN prices
was wholly duo immense decrease In the cattle
supply Is ony blind" While II Is true that the
cattle supply is somewhat diminished, many prom-
nent rlnchmen and wholesale butchers and meat
dealers stoutly assert that the diminution In the
number OF cattle is relatively vastly less than the
heavy advance in prices, which they declare ID
largely due TO speculation in OF the most impor-
tant staple articles or diet.
SENATOR VEST CENSURES THE TRUST.
Senator Vest of Missouri an authority on cattle
raising who chairman OF a senate special COM
riitee appointed in 1853 to investigate all conditions
bearing on the countrys meat industry, and es-
pecially the effect OF the operations OF the Trust
upon that profitable and still immense, though
improbable. business. says:
1T is no doubt true that the scarcity Of cattle
has had something to do with the increase In the
price Of beef But it appears to me TO be equally
true that the Big Four OF Chicago has taken adj
of no afforded decrease
In cattle to run the prices up the consumer.
When the committee investigated the subject before
The chief cause of complaint was the low prices
paid the producer, while there was no decrease IN
the price 10 consumers. There is nothing that can
be done break up the Beef Trust as far as
can see. without further legislation by state 40
well the Federal Government. 50 eng as COM
bne in Chicago can dominate the entire cattie IN
terest of the country will be compelled TO SUD
nit to their prices. 1t seems outrageous that, while
there is an advance of only cent or little more
in the price paid by these firms 10 the catte-raisers.
the prices to the consumers have jumped up from
10 to Is cents per pound
4 leading local dealer in meat at retail said yes
terday regarding the advance, which ranges from
20 to 80 per cent:
THE sudden rise In price was due entirely TO the
manipulation OF the market by these big wholesale
firms acting in concert and not the partial fall
IRE of the Western corn crop. Feed was cheaper
last year than before in the cattle-raisihs
sections. II corn scarce in some parts OF the
country there was certainly enough cattle raised
in other p.aces 10 have made up for any small de-
ncency that there may have been. everything
about this mysterious rise in the price OF meat en-
phasizes and confirms the factsthlt a corner has
been formed Beef is higher in this city than it
durlnS the railway riots in Cnlc2go wnen me
entire Western supply was cut or temporarily
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT KEEPERS SPEAK
The hotel and restaurant keepers are In guam
dairy. Meats so much dearer that they can no
longer afford TO serve them literally as before
the advance. They 90 rot like to advance the
price OF board meals or to reduce the quantity
served as portion Boarding-hous keepers are
in similar state of perpexlty They know that X
prices continue so exorb.ianty high much longer
they will have to 90 one or me o5nsr burs ons
portions of fish, eggs ana poultry an OF Which were
plentiful ana therefore cheap. Due NV 'r' annIs
9R9h priie con~ierabe number boariihs:
cut off a living profit.
SUFFERING AMONG THE POOR.
The greatest hardship is found among the poor:
who are the chief sufferers from the renorseless
Juggling of the Trust. Families which few weeks
ago were able TO have inexpensive cuts OF meat
two or three times a week have been compelled 10
20 without and TO sibsist on ess sunsiant na
diet while the male members OF me family VIC
nap,yain1q scantv provision Wel-todo p-ope. who
have been accustomed 70 buy the best cd's. arg
n 1Stv Snn no onsr AFFORD 10 buy thn they
at least purchase offers 6ui ne 'Vr G ye csnts
a pound find ii impossible to pay the or 10 cents
eXlctei. -, 49,.
Many keepers OF small meatshops have been forced
out Of business. being unable 10 maze suilcient
prof, TO nay their rem: The y y Jrk Retaii
butchers Protective Association has the subject
un der consideration, ana Is eni@avorns 70 bring
abou, united action OF the butchers IL Az c,t.eS to
breaking down the Trus;. the Henrew butchers, ot
whom there are 100 in this ci,y, MANY on the East
unless a decline speedily takes pace many OF them
Will be utterly ruined
GREAT POWER OF THE TRUST.
The great power Of the Trust may be inferred
from the following facts The firms of the COM
bne control between ll00 and 1900 retail and whole
sale meat markets throughout the country. which
are supplied with meats by transportation service
that embraces fully 1000 refrigs rator cars. built
Invested in ther locs markets $00SG,Ug in re-
frgerator cars and 100000 10 $2O,coJOO in pack.
ing pants Near.y 100000 a day is used in tho
purchase Of cattle. More than $4,000 week 10
required 10 meet the payrolls. In the course or
year they slaughter 100000 cattle. Members OF ne
Trust have admitted that they handle 81 per eent
of all the cattle annually sold and yet declare mat
IL would be impossible for them 10 "corner'T ths
meat market. even II they should a:temp; TO %
So An expert In catte-ra sing and the meat indus
try in general, said yesterday: The Beef Trust
has power which, II used with even only moderate
fairness would be great boon 10 the poor and tas
tress and depression. The action is outraSeousy
reprehenslb.e.'