The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-11-10
MEATPRICES.
Ely, Mimi, Nov. 9th, 81

Ely, Mimi, Nov. 9th, $50.
EDITOR ELY MINER:
| am still unable. to see why. we
should pay four cents per pound more
for meat now than we paid two years
ago. was led into an error by a
mistake in Mr. Bakers figures. He
gave the price of prime beef in 1897 at
10 cents per pound when it should
have been 500 per cWt., This makes
a difference of 10 cents per cWt., max
ing a difference in the cost Of dressed
beef between August 10th, 1897 and
August 10th, 1899, S2.l0 instead Of
81. 40 as l had it figured. That still
leaves difference of Sl.90 per cWt..
the rise in cattle on foot and the rise
in the retail price Of meat. Now |
am told and have been show n receipt
ed bills. to prove that the retailers
make no more profit, on 4 pound of
beef now thAn they did in 1897. The
men who slaughter that beef must get
pretty good pay if they get SI.90 per
cWt. more now than they did in '97.
No sir: The greater part of it goes
into the pockets of the men who COM
pose the beef Trust. When you take
into account the enormous quantity
handled you will see that it is vast
sum. 49,. =. 49,.
Ishould like to analyze Mr., Bakers
figures on the decrease in cattle. |
will not go, through all the figures
but just give the results >
In ten Years there has been de-
crease of y per cent ia the number Of
cattle in the q: S. An estimated in
crease of per cent in population and
IAN increased demand on account OF
better times which l will estimate at
10 per cent-which is surely very low
add these items and you have Change
in ratio between supply and demand
of II per cent-and it,. has raised the
price 20 per cent. Mr.. Baker star ted
out to prove that the Meat trust had
not inteFfered with natural laws that
govern the prices Of beef. :. He puts
me in mind of story | have heard:
A TURNER borrowed of his neighbor an
iron kettle. When he returned it, it
was cracked The neighbor brought
I suit to recover the value OF the kettle.
1.-The farmer defended his own case
and after the prosecution rested, he
farose and addressed the court: May
it please your honor" said he, 1--WE
I expect to prove in the first place, that
tile kettle was cracked when we got
it;in the second place that it was
whole when We returned it and in the
third place that we never had it,"
Mr.. Baker proves a little too much.
He has succeeded in proving, f his fig
ures are correct aud | know of no
treason to dispute them, that there
does exist a mighty combination OF
| packers that is able and does, not
only arbitrarily raise the price OF
dressed meat, but that at the same
time controls the price of cattle.
No, Mr.. Editor, you are mistaken
as to the scources from which l draw
my knowledge of the. price of meat.
In addition to my excellent opportun'
ity as push" on the cooler, | have
had the price of meats definitely fixed
in my mind by my efforts to keep my
butchers bill paid and want to say
right here that it takes just as many
hours labor to pay it now as it did in
the darkest day of '96.
At some future time, if you desire
it, l will endeavor to give some OF the
reasons why l am not entirely salts
fed with our present prosperity.
Yours Truly,
GEO. SKINNER