The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-23
BUTCHERS WILL COMBINE.
or RETAILERS FORMING
TO FIGHT THE TRUST.

President Wagner Says That, in = Way,
Overtures Have Been Made Them by n
Man Close to John ID. Rockefeller
Whom They Expect to Assiat Them.
Nearly three hundred members OF the Retail
Butchers Association. which now consists
mainly OF West Side butchers but In which 1t
IL intended to include the retail butchers OF all
Manhattan Borough. and others met last
night in Bloomingdale Hall. in the rear
Of saloon at 915 Eighth avenue. Reporters
were not admitted to the meeting. but after
the doors had been closed for nearly two hours
three men composing press com mlttee came
out and told what had happened inside. The
members Of the committee are George Kahn Of
2313 Third avenue. George J. Loeser OF TIA
Ninth avenue and Meyer Block OF SIS Ninth
avenue Block acted as spokesman.
Tonight" he said. we have initiated four
hundred new members. bringing our total
mem bership up TO about / 200. Members Of
the association offered to- night to give $780,
900 for the establishing OF a slaughter house
for our purposes in New York. There has been
promised to us 30 far about $700, o0O all OF
which comes from the butchers themselves in
shares Of 500 each. The highest number OF
shares taken by one man was twenty. We
want no one largo holder. as that would lead to
a monopoly, and that Is what we want to avoid,
These shares are merely offered. as no COM
pany has yet been formed. The offers. how
ever. will stand good.
I'VE want as much as We can get. probably
e1.500.000. We will have slaughter house
right hero In Now York. whore our mon can
get employment We are doing this TO protect
the consumer. that being our sole idea We
shall rely on the public to help u.s. Our agents
in the West will get us our cattle. and we in
tend to have big yard in Kansas City. to be
the common property OF national association
OF retail butchers which will surely be formed
We shall 70 right ahead with our plans. We
shall have a slaughter house open here before
Jan. 1. and we shall build several houses here
after that"
What Is this for 2" was asked. rs your
plan to bring the so-called trust to termsP"
Yes" Kahn replied. but even II they do
come down with their prices we shall 60 right
ahead. We don't care a snap for the trust.
We've got to protect the consumer"
Mr.. Kahn was asked what in his opinion was
tho reason for the advance in prices OF beef
Tho rise is DUE" he said. TO a combination
OF the trust and the determination Of the big
beef men to send beef to Great Britain. thus
creating scarcity in this country. They seem
to care moro for England than for their own
country"
1t was announced that q committee
to choose q site for . big slaughter
house had been appointed. and that 1t had
plans OF two lots In Long Island City. bounded
by Rapalje. Klllman and Foster avenues and
the Long Island Railroad tracks. President
Louis Wagner said that the two lots had been
offered to the butchers with the promise that
they might have twenty years in which to pay
for them. President Wagner also said that in
a way. overtures had been made to tho asso-
citation by q business man close to John d.
Rockefeller.
"On good authority will state" he said.
that this man has approached us and has told
us that Mr.. Rockefeller would probably do
something tn help us in our fight. in view Of
his antagonsm to certain members OF the beef
trust. This man was personal friend OF Mr..
Rockefeller. and while he didn't say that he
was sent by Mr.. Rock efeller. we were encour-
aged to think that there was something in 1t
for u.s. Other capitalists also have been heard
from. A committee will wait upon Mr.. Rocke-
Teller very soon"
Members OF the association said they had
conferred with Boston and Philadelphia retail
butchers and that they thought national as
ISOLATION OF the butchers would certainly be
organized very soon.