New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-16
BUTCHERS TAKE ACTION.
RETAIL ASSOCIATION ADVANCES THE
PRICE OF MEAT FROM TWO TO
FOUR CENTS POTrND

So far as the public Is concerned the matter
OF the rise in the prices Of meats Of all kinds
Is In the same position it was on Monday You
can pay for IT and take IT, or you can't pay for
l. and leave It. To the rich it is not, OF course a
question Of the first magnitude although IT
VIII make perceptible difference in the house
keeping bills. But with the poor that's an
other story" To those families Of meagre in
come. where every penny counts and luxures
are unknown. it comes as a genuine deprivation
and brings hunger and misery TO strong men
and women and little children in its train All
the cheaper cuts OF meats have been raised two
cents pound These include stewing beef which
sold last week at cents chuck steak at 10
cents chuck roast at 10 cents, and soup meat
at 6 cents. A rise Of from % to SO 1-3 per cent
IN the price Of such a necessity as meat is
question Of the very first magnitude to the poor.
Fourth-ave. butcher said yesterday:
We do not intend raising our prices until fall.
You see practically all our customers are out Of
town, and we are doing so little business at
present that 1t Is hardly worth while TO make
the change. l don't think our customers will
kick; they read the papers, and will know from
them the reason The blow is to the poor. over
in First-ave. they'll feel It most keenly and in
many cases they'll either nave 10 go without or
buy poorer meat. which is really not fit for con-
sumption. You remember the Marquis de Mores
and his ranch to mouth proposition in the early
eighties and subsequent failure. His abattoir
in Medora, " D., Is being used TO slaughter
horses in. and the proposition has become a
foot 10 mouth one. Butte, Mont, butcher Is
Strengthening them at the rate Of hundred
day. The Board Of Health prevented his en-
tering the New-York market with this monde
script flesh. but they are selling horse flesh in
First-ave. to-day for all that, and they are
violating Article XLVII Of the Sanitary Code
as well. for horse flesh is openly exposed for
sale in the windows although they call IL beef"
At a meeting OF the Retail Butchers Mutual
Protective Association OF the Borough OF Man
haitian held last night al Terrace Garden It was
decided 10 raise the price OF meats from two to
four cents a pound The association also au-
thorzed its president. George II. Shaffer to give
to the press the reasons for its action, which are
as follows.
1t is necessary for US to increase the price OF
meat In order 10 make living This has be-
come necessary because Of the recent action OF
the wholesale dealers as related in the news
papers The wholesalers increased the price or
beef 81 30 a hundred pounds, and that compels
the retailer 10 raise his price especially on joints
and on account Of the waste in the retail bust
ness our increase must be greater than that Of
the wholesaler"
Mr. shafer does not think the wholesalers
raising the price Is due 70 the formation Of a
trust but rather 70 The inhexbe law or supply
and demand About this he said.
When the Spanish American war broke OUT
there was a sudden and very heavy demand Tor
meat Better prices were offered for cattle. ana
large numbers Of farmers sold all the cattle
they had. or at least more than they would
have sold in Az ordinary season. There are
therefore fewer cattle left for breeding purposes
and II will he several years before normal
condition is restored II will therefore probably
b. tVo or three years before the price OF meat
comes down again.
In addition 10 this reason for scarcity, the
general increase OF prosperity has Increased the
demand. Iron and steel have gone up, ana so
have cattle For one thing England has taken
% Der cent more meat from US Of late than ever
before That also raises prices here. For these
reasons DO not think the trusts nave any
n do with the matter. But the prices or rnea'
viii have 10 go I'D If the retailers are 70 make
living and II is possible that the prices may 60
still higher. The whole situation is eXactH tns
reverse Of that which lowered tne prre ~
horses when they began building trolley ROADS.
The Executive Committee Of the Greater Ne" v
York Retail Butchers Association. composed OF
Louis Wagner president. George Loeser. We
nrasidAr+. Sebastian Stock. secretary; Charles
I ehrrlsn recording secretary, and Alfred Melsel
treasurer held q meeting ar NO. 30 Elshth-aVe'
| Ia 81 evening TO perfect arrangements for meet
! ing the advance in prices OF meat made oy the
| wholesale dealers The following resolution
was adopted ,, .. -.
| Resolved That We. the retail butchers Of
! New-York City In order 70 make an honest
| living and 70 meet the large increase IN me
wholesale prices Of meat. ask the retail outchers
| Of New-York City TO advance at once the price
| Of all meat at least three cents pound TO ths
| general public We would say that the retall
| butchers OF Neu-York City are losing large
| suros of money weekly, that they are paying
| an the present time from $40 70 go more TOT
| each steer than they did four months ago, ana
| we are therefore compelled 70 raise our re'aii
] nri-.s It least three cents pound
II yrss also decided 10 hold A mass meeting
| on FRIDAY evening at Bloomingdale Han, No
| eI5 and a17 Eighth-ave. and 70 SEND our CIR
culars 70 all the retail butchers OF TINS city car
| 49, .Leir atrention TO this meeting and urging
| then 10 attend whether or not they are mem
| hers ~ the association.