The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-01
HOW THEY Do IT.
THE ROBBERY OF THE PEOPLE
BY THE BIG FOUR.
THE GREAT MEAT COMBlNE EXPLAINED.
Forcing Up the Price of Meat on the
Dealer and Consumer and Fore
ing it Down to the Producer.
THE RING TAKES ALL PROFITS.
The following telegram is selfexplan-

The following telegram is selfexplan-
atory:
West Superior, Wis, April 12-Mar-
TIA Sauter, who up to eighteen months
ago was the proprietor Of a butcher shop
at 4o4 Tower avenue, has begun an ac-
ton against the Armour, Swift, Cud-
ahy and Minnesota packing and provi-
sion companies for damages. He also
includes in his complaint W. J. Greer,
II. ]. Erberling, F. Zarske and 2. E.
Darow and asks for $4,000 to compen-
safe him for his loss.
The facts in the case as Mr.. Sauter
tells them are as follows: Sauter opened
shop in the fall of 1892 on Tower ave-
Things ran smoothly for about six
months. Mr. Sauter had won many
customers and considering the price
fixed by the butchers union was too
high for the price paid to the packing
more in keeping with his customers
pockets and consequently cut them
| down. +-#f.
AS the union had put up prices on
meat, making from to II cents per
pound for handling it, they refused to
sanction this action on the part of Stau-
| ter. The union called meeting and i'm
posed fine of $50 on the offender,
!, inI, l. 70 Mt -
| the month of June, 1898, and Sauter was
| notified that unless he paid the fine
| and put up the prices he would be I'M
able to buy any meat of the packing
| houses. This he refused to do.
| A joint melting was then called by the
union and the representatives OF the
| packing houses in which it was decided
! by the packing house representatives to
boycott him and sell him no meat I'M
! der any circumstances, and, although
he went to the meat handlers with the
money to buy the meat, he was refused
| and could not buy a pound.
He struggled along buying wherever
he could pick up a beef until finally he
was compelled to close up his place of
bushes in October 1893. Now he al
leges conspiracy and wants damages.
This shows the maner in which the
big four" combine is robbing the peo-
| pie.
Meat market men in Ashland and
West Superior, Wis, Duluth, Mimi.
Akron, Ohio, and many other places
| tried to liberate themselves from the
control of the "big four" composed of
Armour & Co., Nelson Morris & Co.,
Swift & Co., and Fowler Bros but they
failed miserably.
AS soon as they tried to start buying
cattle and other stock from farmers
and selling to consumers. the combine
rented stores near the shops Of the To-
cal men and by underselling them forced
them to "knuckle under" and buy meats
from the combine. Wherever an in
dependent stock buyer has tried to
locate he is crowded out by similar tao
| tics.
So absolutely has the big four secured
control of the market that even pluto
cratic Morton, secretary of agriculture
admitted this fact.
Here is what he says:
Washington, D. c., April 11.-Secre-
tary Of Agriculture Morton today be-
gan inquiry into the recent increase
in tho price of meats for the purpose OF
| ascertaining if any combination in vio-
lation of law exists for the purpose oil
putting up prices.
Concerning the inquiry, Secretary
! Morton said today:
The increase in the price of cattle has
been quite remarkable and certain fluc.
tuations seem unaccountable. 1t would
appear that the primary cause of the in
creased price is that the supply is de.
creasing, while the demand is constantly
increasing. In Texas there are not II
cattle today to hundreds a short time ago
And the four points, SO called-Chica
go, Kansas City, st. Louis and Omaha
where cattle are slaughtered, are fall
ing off in their supply to the market
The reduction last year was 1924
head of cattle, as compared with the yea
before. The Chicago production fel
off 209, 598 head, and Omaha A I'll, Will,
Kansas City increased 45,59S head, ant
St. Louis Sc, 461, making a net reduc
ton as stated. This reduction NATURAL,
| would bring an increase of price to thu
. consumer. Then, too, corn-fed cattl
| are preferred, and our supply of corn fel
off enormously last year. This in par
explains the falling off in the production
of high grade cattle. And it is marke,
. feature of the American consumer tina
,, he wants the very best grade of cattl
and the choicest parts, sirloins or por
terhouse, rather than the more nutritiv
: round or neck.
Mr.. Morton's inquiry as to the influ
ences of all the alleged trusts are in par
directed by current statements as to tn
influence which the Big Four have II
: depressing the price of live cattle. Hi
! attention has recently been called to
: statement that when consignment Q
, cattlewere offered in Kansas City, 81
was offered, that when the same con
signment was taken to st. Louis 3 cent
was offered and that in Chicago, %
;, cents was offered. 1t was asserted tina
. these fluctuations were due to the abil
:, ity of the Big Four to depress prices. MI
= Morton says that while his explanatio
seems reasonable on it's face, he doe
! not consider it sufficient. He says ths
if there was any demand for live cattl,
the price would go up regardless of tn
combine.
No one will deny that the price Of cal
q tie has gone up on account of last sun
: mers drouth. But for all that the pric
received by the producer and the prio
t paid by the consumer is out of all pre-
!: portion and the Fig Four secures the vi
= | i,,c@ -;