New-York tribune., 1900-11-11
BEEF NOT MUCH DEARER.
CHICAGO REPORT SAID HERE TO BE Ex-
AGGERATED-oUEsTIo OF SUP
PLY AND DEMAND

Representatives OF the big packing houses and
dealers declared yesterday that story of the IN
in the price Of meats telegra phed from Chi
cago had been grossly exaggerated There had
been an advance IN prices, they SAID but the
average increase was about one-fourth of a cent
pound instead Of cent. But even this sIipht
rise II was admitted, would make a material dif
ference in the retail price of meats. Had the rise
been one cent a pound as reported retail prices
would have been increased fully three cents q
ro,lnd II IS steaks and choice cuts of beef will
probably be cents higher tomorrow than they
were and the consumers will have to suffer in
consequence The representatives of Armour & Co.
Swift & Co. the schwarzschild & susberger Co
and other large dealers and packing houses were
indignant yesterday at the Chicago story But
while denying the truth of the story they admit
ted that the price OF beef had gone up one-fourth
of a cent a pound and that it would probably go
higher. They insisted, however, that the increase
was all due supply and demand, and that 1t had
not been caused by a corner IN heef or any manipu-
Iation of the market.
At the schwarzschild & Sulzberger Co.'S office 1t
was said that increase in the price of beef was
asked of buyers yesterday. and that the company
did not contemplate raising prices.
A representative OF Swift & Co. Informed a Trib-
une reporter that beef had gone up one-fourth of
cent a pound. He denounced the Chicago story as
a fake" especially that part OF 1t saying that the
incomes of the big packing houses would be in
creased sS9 100000 by the rise IN prices If this were
tr1e he added the stock in these companies would
nav bigger dividends and he worth more than the
stock of the Standard OIL Company. Continuing.
he said that the slight increase in the price OF
heef was due entirely the demand exceeding the
SUNNY in the Chicago market last week He said
that on last Monday there were only nine thousand
head of cattle in the Chicago stock yards whereas
on the previous Monday there had been twenty
thousand This caused a shortage In the supply
and prices naturally went up.
The wholesale price of dressed beef by the car
cass to-day the representative said. was S9
cents a pound that of veal 1919 cents; pork, 20
cents: mutton cents and lamb, cents While pork
IS 70 cents to-day. it 12l5 cents last August,
but nothing was said about that. Why shouldn't
the price of meats go up this OF the year?
People eat meat now; they don't eat strawberries
and watermelons
At Armour & Co.'S 1t said that the rise in
prices would not he more than one-fourth Of a cent
a pound and that it would be governed entirely
by the supply and demand There was plenty of
cattle in the West 1t said. but Increased de-
mand would naturally tend TO stiffen prices The
Chicago story was exaggerated and away out or
line.
member 9 Of that af 6e hoasG m 90 story
a big thing for him, his customers would come
cDM creased dVl5lits prices for their STOCK
Retail meat dealers and % butchers ssq ad S9yenced
but that they had not Increased prices 1t It was was
4dsd a6W Tan Bdrn of Washngon 30 Mar
sad the he Te ed best cms of beef f. from one @
two cents pound T dhe6s re WouG b 3oo1s2 a1sq
parts but the best cuts would have TO near the
simon Andesner another dealer. declared that
the Chicago story was another scheme to boost
prices The advance In the Wholesale price OF beef
was one-fourth of cent a pound, and. or course
the retail dealers would have 10 meet 1t to-nor-
row by a corresponding increase in prices sirloin
steak was selling Wednesday in the market ct from
IS to 20 cents a pound; porterhouse steak p TO .
cents: round steak. 16 cents: rib roast l2l2 to 70
cents and the poorer portions from to 10 cents
Other dealers talked in the same strain
At the hotels and restaurants II said that
the reported Increase the price Of meats had not
affected them yet. At Sherry's. the Waldorf;
Astoria Astor House. Delmonico's, Hotel Imperial
and other places. II said that they had con
tracts with the dealers VINO supplied them with
meats and that they would feel the effect OF in
creased prices when these contracts expired and
# became necessary 10 make new ones. Some con-
tracts are renewed weekly. while others run for n
longer period