The evening times., 1899-08-23

| butchers, cooperating with the retailers
in the other large cities. have decided to
fight the Beef Trust to a finish.
They intend to establish independent
slaughterhouses, independent supply sta
tions and independent distributing sys-
TENS in all parts of the country, COM
pletely severing their business relations
with the big Five the Armour, Swift,
Morris, Cudahy and Schwarzschild &
Sulzberger combination.
Those back of this gigantic enterprise
estimate that they will be able to raise at
once from SIS, 600 to $20.000.000 II
carry it out, and they are confident that
| later they can get as many millions more
as may be necessary.
| John d. Rockefeller is named as one Of
the capitalists who may put large sums OF
money into the fight to down the Beer
Trust.
The Chicago packers. il was announced
from that city last night, assert that it
will be impossible for the retailers to
carry out the plan. They declare the Chi
cago packers have options on all CT the
| available cattle on the Western ranges,
| thus completely cornering the supply.
| Men back of the antitrust movement,
however, hold that it would be impossible
| for the Chicago packers to corner the sup
ply.
Subscriptions for 100000 to build inde-
| pendent slaughterhouses in New York
have been received, and ii is asserted that
the antitrust establishment to supply this
city will be in full operation by next
January.
The foregoing outline of one of the
| most gigantic antitrust fights yet under
taken was given at meeting OF the New
| York Retail Butchers Association, he'd
at No. 915 Eighth Avenue last night.
| About 500 members of the association
were present, and they cheered loudly
when several speakers declared that the
retailers and the public would not much
longer be at the mercy of the Beef Trust.
Those interested in the plan TO establish
an Independent slaughterhouse were sur
prised at the enthusiasm with which the
idea was approved by the association. Their
announcement that shares would be sold
for S100 each was followed by hundreds
of subscriptions. In order to make the
| affair cooperative il was explained that
no one subscriber would be allowed to take
more than twenty shares.
| When ii became apparent that the meln-
bers were unanimously in favor of the
plan the meeting at once took up the de-
| tails. Ii was decided to build an inde-
pendent slaughterhouse in New York, III
| stead of Jersey City, and a large plot OF
land in Long Island City was offered to
the association for $4,000. George Wag
ner. A. Guttfriend, and John Wagner were
| appointed a special committee to take
charge of the plan, to inspect proposed
sites and to look after the subscriptions
This committee will take up its work to-
| day, and will report back TO the associa-
! tion in a few days. AS soon as this re-
port is acted upon the work of construct
/ ing the independent house here will begin.
1t is the plan TO raise from 81 ,000, 900 to
| 81, SOC, 900 for the local establishment, and
the subscriptions already received insure
/ the carrying out of the project. As soon
as a site is selected plans for the build
| ings will be adopted and work will begin.
Several leaders in the enterprise said the
4 new independent house would surely be i'll
operation the first of next year.
George ]. Losier. a prominent member of
| the association. was able to give other
| members definite idea of the way in
which a general fight against the trust
could be carried on. He had just returned
| from Philadelphia where the retail butch
4 ers had agreed to stand by the New York
retailers in the fight. Mr. Losier said
that the Philadelphia Retail Butchers AS
sociation had raised $500, 900 to establish
independent slaughterhouses there, and
| that similar action is assured in Boston.
| Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St Louis,
and all of the principal cities of the coun-
| try.
George Wagner, president of the New
| York Retail Butchers Association, said
that butchers in the various cities will
raise from SIS 900, 900 to $40, 600, ,000 Other
members of the association declared that
those figures were conservative. They
pointed out that the butchers would merely
be investing their money and that out
side capitalists already had expressed ca
gerness to put their money in the enter
prise. The National Association of Retail
Butchers is large and influential organi-
zation, and il will be used as the nucleus
Of the system into which IL is proposed to
bring the local independent establishments
Great interest was shown at the meet
ing last night in the statement that Mr.
Rockefeller would aid the retailers in their
fight against the trust. Mr.. Wagner said
that no formal offer of assistance had been
received from Mr.. Rockefeller, but that he
had reason to believe the Standard Oil
magnate would enter the fight. He added:
"One of Mr.. Rockefellers intimate friends
"a business man of high standing-told
me that he was confident Mr.. Rockefeller
would aid us in establishing independent
plants / have not talked with Mr.. Rookie
will wait upon him tomorrow
One reason why Mr.. Rockefeller may
take prominent part in the fight, it was
explained last night, is that Cudahy, one
of the big five," gave the Standard Oil
magnate q great deal of trouble in the oil
business a few years ago. Mr.. Rockefel-
ler's friend intimated to Mr.. Wagner that
he undoubtedly would be glad of this op-
portunity to even up that old score with
the Chicago packer.
Mr.. Losier. when asked IL the fight
would be dropped In case the trust re-
stored the old standard of prices, replied
mo. that would make no difference. This
is to be fight to the finish We shall go
right ahead with our plans, regardless of
what the trust does. IL We should abandon
the plan the trust would raise prices again
just as soon IS We gave up the idea of hay-
ing our own slaughterhouses. We must
protect the interests OF our customers in
order to protect our own interests
Many consumers Of beef in Chicago
threaten to boycott the retailers until the
old prices are restored. Necessity has
compelled hundreds of New Workers to
practically boycott the sellers of the best
beef Many retailers at last nights meet
ing declared that their business had great
ly decreased since the wholesalers adyanc-
ed prices ten days ago. They said that
scores of families which formerly bought
porterhouse steaks now buy soup meat,
and tnat their trade has been greatly in
jured Four hundred butchers Joined the
association last night.