The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-12
THE TURKEY QUESTION.
The Meat Trust Said to Have . Cor
ner on the Bird.


Despite the glow of prosperity over
the whole land and the new brightness
given to it by the sweeping Republican
victory it appears from our eastern re-
ports that there is a little cloud upon
the American sky. Though small it is
irritating, for it affects the joy of the
season. 1t implies that on the coming
of Thanksgiving and Christmas we are
to face a turkey question and will find
it tough
President Roosevelt in the fresh vigor
of recovery from the wound on his knee,
went with a distinguished party to Vir>
ginia to hunt turkeys. They had a long
tramp and a good hunt, but they got
only one turkey For some reason the
noble bird has become scarce in the
Virginia woods, and it is said that wild
turkeys hereafter will have to be care
fully protected or they viii vanish like
the buffalo.
That report is bad. but there is more
and worse to come. We can spare wild
turkeys from the forests if the domesti-
Gated gobbler and his hen will cantinue
| to flourish and breed in the barnyard.
There are fears, however, that the barn
yards this season are going to fall short
of filling the supply.
The story is So sad that we prefer to
let our eastern exchanges tell ittrather
than undertake to find words sufficient
ly narrowing to fit the subject. The
Chicago Tribune says the meat trust has
cOrnered the turkey market and pro-
poses to put the price so high that any
man who can afford to pay it will in
deed have occasion to give thanks and
rejoice. The Baltimore American says
The trust that calls Chicago its home
must be compelled to keep its hands off
| these birds. They may be cOOped but
they must not be cornered. The people
of Baltimore, the people of Maryland,
and the people of the whole country de-
! T1a n hof he fr-r1c 17o1I osft LAT h.
turkeys alone or promise that there
shall be no advance in the .rice.''
The Boston Transcript, that never gets
excited on the trust question, says:
There is no corner on turkeys, as has
been stated. because there are not
enough turkeys to corner. The great
Armour establishment in Chicago, which
has made special effort in the way of
buying poultry, is turkeyless as any
other concern" Then it proceeds to say:
Naturally one wants to know the rea
son of this shortage, and no one can
tell exactly, but it is generally under
stood that the high price of grain ac-
counts in a great measure for the pres
ent condition.
People couldn't afford to buy grain just
to feed it out and as this state Of affairs
prevails all through the west there is a
distinct falling off in the turkey market.
All summer long it has been impossible for
the market men to get turkeys from any
where. There Is another reason for the
| scarcity Tt has been a cold wet summer,
| ana anyone VINO knows anything about
the raising of the Thanksgiving bird
knows that nothing is more fatal to young
/ turkeys than cold, damp weather.
1t will be seen there is a difference of
| opinion to the couse of the scarcity.
| One says the trusts have the turkeys, an
/ other says there are none because the
farmers would not feed them and a third
attributes the deficiency to the weather.
| All agree, however, that turkeys are
scarce in the Mississippi valley and all
over the east from Virginia to Vermont.
/ There is. however. no reason for fearing
/ q lack of turkeys in California. They may
I be high. but we can reach them.-San
Francisco Call.