Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-29
LOOKER-ON in IOWA.
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lor the es-Republican

For the Times Republican
State Center, April 2S.-On the train
between State Center and Nevada two
travelling men We're talking of the beef
trust Among other information TO
which the writer was an auditor waa
the following from the current daily
newspaper:
An investigation of the alleged beef
trust was proposed today by Repre-
sentative Richardson, of Tennessee,
democratic floor leader and ranking
democratic member OF the ways and
means committee. The resolution hu
introduced reads as follows:
".Whereas, There has been recently
an unusual increase in the price of
beef, mutton, veal and pork. which is
abnormal and due largely if not alto
gether to trusts and other combinations
alleged to be unlawful in their organs
cation,
"'Resolved, That the ways and
means committee be instructed to in
vestigate the question of the recent in
crease in the price of thes articles and
to determine the cause thereof, and If
practicable offer some measure of leg
1890
the evils complained Of
This leader of the democratic party
in congress wants to know, you know
Only little While ago he was where
asing' and resolving on the bribery
OF congressman in the Danish islands
purchased McKinleys gone. and
Roosevelt is having the attorney gem
eral commence suits against members
OF the so-called beef trust, so Mr.
Richardson can only bring an indict-
ment against the republican party for
the high prices of beefsteak.
There's a good deal of nonsense be-
ing written these days about the beef
trust. Here in Iowa, in any number OF
towns, the best cuts of beef are re-
tailed today at 1915 to Is cents pound
This is only little advance over for
mer prices. These butchers still buy
cows from to 4 cents a pound. live
weight. In general statement dressed
beef costs the dealers twice as much as
when alive. so that these dealers In
COW beef still have fair margin But
when it comes to handling beef from
Chicago packing houses it's another
proposition. Any one can look at the
sales of the best steers in Chicago ana
notice as high as S7.25 per hundred
pounds. So that If these Chicago deal
ers should ask IL to IA cents for such
dressed beef there is nothing unusual
IN the figures. Again the retail dealer
in such beef has to lose much in the
way of bones and fat he does not sell,
so that when such Il dealer pays city
rent, has city expenses in the way OF
help ice and other expenses he is not
abusing the public. A travelling man
who last year was running a meat
market in an Iowa town told the writer
that he bought dressed beef by the
quarter of Chicago packers at So
cents. retailed the best steak at Is cents
per pound and other cuts in proportion,
end found he had lost 81 on one dressed
steer in doing business at these fig
ures.
If there is a beef combine, meat
trust, it's a picnic for the Iowa farmer,
and at the same time an outrage on the
Iowa wage Garner. The Iowa farmer
is the man making high prices possible
and no one can blame him. Said farm
er has to feed corn worth so to 60 cents
per bushel to produce the fat steer. Mr..
Iowa Farmers is a pretty well-fixed
man these days He does not have to
sell his fat cattle till he gets ready.
again the longer he feeds his steers, i.
C., the more fat and growth they put
on the higher the market price. So he
is holding back his fat cattle and .'the
beef trust. is offering him little more
each week, in order to bring the cattle
from the Iowa farm to the Chicago
market. Democratic Leader Richardson
should whereas" and resolve" the
Iowa farmer.
Now there is a trust a combine in
eggs and the farmer is not the cause of
II. The Iowa hen has been working
full time this year as usual, but Swift,
Armour and other big cold storage
men have put up prices this spring
higher than known for years. 1t is
stated that one firm has 100000 cases OF
thirty dozen each in cold storage in
Jersey City. Consequently there has
been no low prices for eggs this spring.
II is also claimed that butter and poul-
try of all kinds are being bought up by
these big packing houses, thus giving
the farmers benefit. and making the
wage earner's dollars buy less than
usual.
But now the farmer has 1t in for an
other kind of trusts and combines. This
man Richardson is wasting his time in
embarrassing" on beef. What the great
democratic party ought to do is to re
solve" against the manufacturers of
everything the farmer has to buy. Get
after the manufacturer of corn binders,
so that it WONT cost so much to secure
the 50-cent corn. Manage 1T some way
so that we farmers won't have to pay
$50 month for hired men. It's non
sense to take the duty off of cattle and
thus let South American steers get into
these United States. Much better take
the duty off all iron and steel where
any manufacturer sells binder or a
plow In South America cheaper than he
does in Iowa. You wouldn't let eggs
from Canada in free would you? What
we need is to take off the duty on lum-
Der, so we farmers can build corncrihs
and big barns to keep our 6-cent steers
and hogs under free lumber covering.
Leader Richardson can secure the
whole farmer vote for tfle next presi-
Dental campaign by keeping up a good
stiff duty on wool, but arrange at the
same time to give use farmers low
prices on all wool clothes and blankets.
Now there's considerable nonsense in
the foregoing paragraphs, but the