The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-05
THE BEEFTRusT..

q
trusts. our esteemed contemporary, the
ton to an article in one OF the New York
papers, In which it is charged that the Beef
Trust has put up the price of meats from
time to time, until poor people are not
able to buy a good steak or a good roast.
The virginian-Pilot wants to know what
Trust.
First OF all, the Beef Trust is more
creature of the ina gination than a reality.
There are several large concerns handling
meats They have not formed a COM
.bination in name. although it is charged
that they have formed a combination in
-fact-that is TO say that they have en-
tered into an agreement to keep up the
price OF meat.
But there are several natural causes
to account for the high price of meat. A
large cattlc-raiser from Southwest Vir-
GINA said in our hearing the other day
that the supply of beef was not equal to
the demand and that in all probability
this condition would continue for a long
time to come. Our population has in
creased, the number of people who are
able TO buy fresh meats, has increased
and We are shipping meat in large guam
titles to foreign lands. That accounts
for the enormous demand
The supply is scarce because Of the
failure of the corn crop of the West;
because Of the closing of great public
ranges; because Of the extraordinary de-
mand from the war in South Africa and
in the Philippines. IN this connection,
the Stanton News. which is published IN
u rich grazing section, says:
The price of beef cattle IN Chicago is
the highest for twenty-1iv years except
in March, 1882, when it vas Twenty-Five
cents hundred higher. The consurnp-
ton has caught up entirely with produc-
ton, and il the demand continues prices
must go higher. us there is no more meat
to be had This is encouraging news to
those who raise cattle, but quite the OPP
posite 10 those who eat them.
The price has reached as nigh as S7.4U
a hundred In March, 1896, the price
was SAFE.
From this it is reasonable to suppose
1nlC Inc DllCc VI IuCdI "odlu 1iehNC
creased. whether there had been Beef
Trust or not. Look at the price Of corn.
There is no corn trust, and yet corn is
selling for twice as much as it brought
a year ago We doubt if the price OF
meat would fall to any appreciate ex-
tent if the so-ca,led Beef Trust should
be dissolved.
But the Beef Trust, if you choose to
call it such, has one thing in its favor,
and the Government is responsible for it.
We refer to the tariff on foreign meats,
which gives the meat dealers in this coun-
try the power to raise prices. For
every pou1.d Of beef steak or pork that en-
tiers the mouth of the American con-
sumer,'' says the Philadelphia Record, The
must pay a tax of two per cent. to the
trust and the tax is the same for the
prime steaks that are selected by the
rich as the scraggy portion of the meat
consumed by the poor. This tax must
be paid to the trust, for as the duty on
meat is practically prohibited. no revenue
from it flows into the public treasury and
it serves merely to enhance the profit eN-
tracted by the trust from the American
consumers
The Philadelphia Times calls attention
to the fact that the trust packers, who use
borax to preserve their meats, supported
by their agents in Germany, are strainlng
every nerve to prevent the Government at
1,o;r &c ont
the German market. So the meat trust
is struggling to sell its products to for
eisn people at the worlds level Of prices,
while its customers at home must sub
nit to extortion nowhere says our
contemporary, lis meat produced moro
cheaply than here. and if the trust can
sell to Europe at reasonable price IL
should be compelled to do the same thing
in the United States. It is an intolerable
outrage that rich trust, shut behind
tariff wall, should have it in its power
10 soueeze a monstrous price out Of the
domestic consumer.
We do not believe in antitrust laws as
they have been administered, but we are
especially to aid trusts or corporations or
individuals in carrying on their business
affairs.
we are opposed to all sorts OF class
Hesitation, whether it be against or In
favor of this interest or that We can
conceive of no greater outrage Of govern
ment than laws which enable private
concern to levy a tax upon the people
in order that its own profit may be in
creased.
In fighting the trusts along that line
The Times is ever ready to join heart
and hands with the Virginian-Pilot or
any other newspaper.
The Leesburg Mirror has expanded into
an cight-page sixtyfour column paper
and is now the largest country weekly in
the State. Very good The Mirror is
determined TO reflect the enterprise and