Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-25
BEEF PRICES NOT ALARMING
Only / 1-2 Cents Higher at
Wholesale Than Last Year.
REAL CAUSE OF THE SCARCITY
What the breeders Gazette.
Says About the Situation.


Some sensational newspapers of the
country have been publishing. stories
recently to the effect that a syndicate OF
cattemen in the West had forced up the
prices of beef and that they intended to
keep them up just as long as possible; that
the men composing the syndicate were
back of scheme Tor benefiting their own
pockets.
The following article, from the Breeders
Gazette, one of the acknowledged authori-
ties on all matters pertaining to- the cattle
industry of the country, is review OF the
situation from an intelligent and reliable
standpoint, based upon a practical knowi-
edge OF the situation as II really exists /; 4
There is an actual scarcity of prime cattle,
or cattle of any kind. Within short period
the price Of good cattle on the hoof has risen
two cents per pound. and we see no reason
why the advance should not continue. IN fact,
we look Tor a continuation OF nigh prices Tor
beef all of the coming summer. The amounL
OF range cattle offered for the marker Us now AZ
per cent less than last year. There has been
drouth OH the ranges, hard winters, q lack OF 4
Increase in cattle raising and to sum II ali up,
a strong American demand for consumption
not equaled by the producers OF beef. AS lar
as we can see every circumstance OF climate
and the laws of supply and demand nave 1or
| number OF years com bined against the Ameri-
! can cattle raiser, until we are CONFRONTED Win
| an actual shortage of beef. =
| This situation has long been foreshadowed
| by reports which have appeared in the GdEstfe
|
| the man who keeps posted, has not failed to
| gee tho drift of affairs, and when he has gov
erned himself accordingly he Is not now caught
| with his bucket upside down when 1t ts raining
| dollars The long era OF low prices has cost us
| much, but II has likewise taught US much, and
| 1t would be lamentable indeed II the present
! upward flight of prices should induce any
| farmer to forget the economies In production
ard ieeding which he was forced to learn
LOCAL VIEW OF THE MATTER.
Il. L. Penley, general manager for
Armour & Co., in this city, was seen by
reporter of Tia GAZETTE on Monday and
asked for his view of the beef question.
Mr.. Penley says the big sensational papers
of the country have created an unneces-
sary scare BEEF is not so very high"
the genial manager said. "lt has been SO
very low for the past three years that it
has been found necessary to make some
advance in order to remunerate the cattle
raisers for the outlay they have made in
the way of feed.
higher than it is during the remainder Of
the year. The prospects are that the
market will rule steady, with probable
intervals of slight advance. until the
appearance of grass cattle, in August.
However do not think it will be cheap
again for several years. Prime cattle,
dressed, are now selling for nine cents per
pound, which is an advance of about II
=
cheaper meat, of course, but the figure
quoted is for the best.
.sFour years ago the price for the same
beef was 81 cents So you see 1t is not as
high now as it was then. Why, l have
seen the time, aud not many years age
either, when poor cattle sold for IL cents
, All this talk about it being away up il
{ nonsense and without foundation. Tht
average price for prime meat i'll April
May and June is n and cents. Liy,
! cattle sold in Chicago last spring for ii
cents, while the ruling price at the presen
, time is ct cents"
RETAIL QUOTATIONS. E5ssS
A prominent retail butcher was alsC
, seen and gave the following quotations
Sirloin steak. 20 cents per pound; prime
rib roast, 1Sa2O cents; round steak, Il
} cents; chucks, l0al2 cents. His opinion
/ was that these prices will rule during thu
e summer. There may, he thinks, be shor
neriods when there will be slight ad
/ vance, but there is no immediate prospec
| of such.
4 He too. was of the opinion that nea
D would remain higher for year or tw'
1 than it has been in the last few years. Blu
the figure he thinks, is not at all alarm
e ing, aud he looks for really better marke
4 than the retailer has had in the last fey
n months.
$ HIDES AND TALLow UP TOO.
Hides and tallow have also been caush
in the tide and are considerably highei
{ Hides have gone up p cents and tallo'
has advanced l cent per pound. This fei
ture is in favor of the butcher; for ha
: these commodities remained at the ol
figures the meat would have been sti
SC higher.