Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-22
MEAT DEALERS
ARE ILL AT EASE
Prospective Consolidation Of Pack
Ing Interests Uunerves Them,
RUMoRS TO THIS EFFECT.
Scheme 10 TO Combine Those In The
East ana 10 Consolidate Agen'
eies Ia she West

" There has for some months been con-
rio siderable talk about possible, probable
ab or improbable mergers OF the meat
-" packing interests In the great packing
centers, with consolidation Of agencies
M, in the west as well as throughout the
", country. In case anything Of this kind
sll should be done, meat handlers In this
ln' city claim that II would result dis
cr astrously to local dealers, but at the
ale same time there would be a unfcatlon
ro' OF prices which would not be an I'M
III mixed evil, as It would stop cutting
and fluctuatng prices
In each and every instance, however,
that reports suggesting the combina-
ton have been started. they have been
vigorously denied and the packers
claimed that any such proposition Is
3 preposterous, Inquiry came to the
] News. Office yesterday afternoon IRON
] Washington county asking II there had
1 been any merger movement started IN
! Salt Lake The local agent of Swift
2 & Co, Mr. Geogheean, and the western
representative Of the company MT. o.
= Callahan. emphaticaly declared later
II there VAS no truth In the reports, either
as 70 consolidation In the east or IN
the Self Lake offices OF the big pack
crs,
In regard to this matter. recent
interview In the Denver Post with Vice
- President @. w. Balantine OF the
= Union Stock Yards company at Den
II yer will be OF interest In this city. Mr..
4 Ballantine said;
= I'VE have no advlces on the situation
!. at present and are simply waiting IN
IA the dark for further developments. No
y proposition OF any kind has been re-
= celvcd by w TO merge our interests
with any concern whatever
There IL an unlimited amount OF
possibilities however, that might grow
out OF This new move. From reports
IN the press dispatches II is stated that
the combine Is authorized to purchase
h and deal In cattle and other live stock.
This may mean the breaking away
'ol from established stock yards and the
80 purchase OF their own beef, etc. In
= fact, this Will undoubtedly be one re-
suit. Now, under such circumstances,
independent yards may put up rival
packing concerns 10 handle their pro-
duct. II this should be done the stock
Interests would. no doubt. have mer-
,es ger OF their own for self-proteotlon.
&c Or the whole thing may evolve to the
I benefit or the producer, II things take
lal their present course 1t might be found
he In the stock market, as Jim Hin says
,lhe found his railway merger something
I, that has favored everyone alike"
There Is no hint OF the sangulne,
I" however. in the Views OF Charles +.
III Marvin To ~ IA ha National I iun
n Stock association which has been fight
Sc ing the merger since the rumor Of It's
reorganization first gained ground
VII 1--WE ought to have fired off our am
n,munitioh sooner" said Mr. Martin "Of
Il course, there Is n bare possibility that
IN, the merger hasn't taken place at all.
re ms reported. We have had no advice
n, 20 that effect but still | am afraid II
Is ton true. What II will mean Is sim
:, ply the humiliation OF competition.
q, will place the market entirely In the
~ hands of a few men, who VIII set prices
a on beef on the hoof and other products.
This Will be a black eye 20 the COM
y mission men and put them entirely out
"a Of business The farmer and stock
edraiser viii simply have TO take what
sthey can get, and be glad to get that.
III IF this merger has actually taken
|cs ing combine has scored the first round
qin the mill. u doesn't mean that the
Ia fight Is over with. The stock interests
M will wage war until there Is no posi-
lie BILE chance to accomplish anything
more. only wish we had got into the
fmatter sooner and done something def
mite TO retard the merger. Yes, | think
! II Is possible that as a last resort the
neHtock interests viii build rival packing
y plants. II would be expensive. but It
would offer some difference Of price
ir on his product TO the stock raiser, and
Ne where there Is competition that Is
o,where the business viii go Already
min many cities there have been stock
lizards for some time under the trust in
N fluence. but this has never been felt In
" Cincinnati. Kansas CITY or Denver,
n,where the wards have always been in
ia dependent"
= The Denver reporters are having the
same trouble as Salt Lake reporters,
lin getting local agents OF the packing
d accompanies 20 falkland the western gem
- 'eral agents are just az noncommunl-
" cative. The agents In this city posi-
ltively refuse to give opinions though
wv. N. Blayney general agent Of the
o@Cudahy company in Denver does ven
:, ture to remark:
IN ut is my opinion though that the
tnconsumer VIII benefit by the merger
AThe packers can now protect them
Ia selves against hold.up methods OF the
0 stock rasers and place their products
fiion the market az greatly reduced
vtprices. Other expenses OF operation
chand competition will also be greatly
ff'''e"N'