Evening star., 1902-08-05
Annual Convention of Ma
tional Retailers Association.
WILL FIGHT THE TRUST
TARIFF REDUCTION ON MEAT TO
BE ADVOCATED.
First Session Devoted to Addresses of
officers-Three Days Pro-
gram Of Work and Play.

the organization and rumored reorganiza-
tion Of beef trusts and combinations, the
annual convention of the National Retail
Butchers and Meat Dealers Protective AS
ISOLATION. which began today at the Ra-
leigh Hotel in this city. is of unusual In
terest TO the public. The first meeting of
the three days session took place this
morning at 10 o'clock and so many were
the recommendations and suggestions of the
retail dealers, who come in contact on the
hand with the consumers of meat and
with the wholesalers of this precious article
on the other, that they continued in session
until after / o'clock in listening to the re-
ports of officers and forming committees for
action.
1t is not unlikely that the result of the
convention will be recommendation that
the tariff be removed from meat and food
products, and some even predict that a
scheme of bounty for beef raising may be
advocated. to be paid either by the national
or state governments, this latter PROPOSE
ton oelng advocated to encourage beef rails
ing In the eastern states once again.
The meeting Is attended by delegates from
many states, and it's proceedings at the
nrst meeting were marked with enthusiasm
ana accord. The mornings program con-
sisted OF addresses of welcome on the part
OF off1cers OF the local association. John r.
Kelly. president of the local association,
Welcomed the delegates to the District of
Columbia, and outlined program OF pleas
ure and entertainment which had been ar
ranged TO keep the visiting delegates busy
during their leisure moments during the
three days Included in this program is
trip 10 Mount Vernon this afternoon, a bar
oecue at Benning tomorrow afternoon, and
a banquet at the conclusion of the day
Thursday.
On behalf of the city of Washington, Jas
A. Hoffman was heard. Mr. Hoffman sec
onded Mr.. kelly's hospitality, and both
were cheered by the visitors. The ad-
dresses We're responded to on behalf of the
association by President w G. Wagner of
New York.
Business Begun in Earnest.
Business was then begun. in earnest The
nrst thing done was to appoint a strong
committee on resolutions and recommenda-
lions, with instructions to report vigorous
measures for dealing with the present ser,-
Gus situation. This was followed by the
annual reports of President Wagner, Secre-
tary Daniel s. Haley of Troy N Y, and
Treasurer Adam Sattig of New Haven,
Conn.
Among the various recommendations made
was one that action be taken regarding the
Sunday closing of meat shops in the Dis
trfct of Columbia The weighty recommen-
datiOns, so far as the national situation is
concerned, were contained In the report of
President Wagner. who Is serving his sec
ond term -as the presiding officer of the
associa ton
As showing the trend of thought among
the retail meat dealers of the country these
words were almost the first uttered by the
president in his address:
Our fight has been for freedom and COM
mercIal liberty against the tyranny of a
rev Drought about by an agreement of
WesIth-a struggle to maintain our man.
hood and business integrity without being
contf oiled hampered and dictated to by he
1e" VINO ruled with an iron hand. and
m cd to -
tation of price limiting supplies when they
thouSht 1t necessary to maintain prices;
enforcing the payment of disputed claims
I lrresptctive of their accuracy; blacklisting
men whose honesty and integrity had never
been questioned. II feeble protest was
mad" and payment withheld for an jnius-
nc perpetrated upon them Not content
with the patronage of the butcher they
sought the consumer, until their obiectfve
point seemed clearly to be the acquisition
tail ~ &c
History of the Beef Trust.
Continuing. Mr.. Wagner took up, the his
tory Of the beef trust.
our association. watchful though we
might be. seemed powerless to stem the
Tide that was dashing the members Of our
craft upon the rocks of despair and bank
ruptcH. living on the crumbs from the rich
man table as 1t were. Even the crumbs
seemed to be given with a grudging spirit
But now often aVarice oyerreaches ITSELF
anu the worm turns Turns to assert it's
rights Of existence in this land of freedom
ana equality Of mems privileges And so
our association turned on this ayaricious
monster. that was forging the chain of
bondage link by link that mea MT subiection
10 the Will and caprice of the few
Accordingly, on Monday. April IA 1902
your executive officers lodged a complaint
against the oppressive combination of
packers with United States Attorney Cen
tEdl knUX the Of
IN Washington. d. c. I am happy ia saw
the federal government recognized the ms
uet OF our coGss&int, putting the ma
chinerY of justice in motion ar ,ba
instigation of our association that has In
measure resulted in cfne complete denor-
ahZation OF the firms in MS combina ton,
as,.sd :. least for the TINE being. and has re-
HeFed our craft Of the oppression from
which 1T suffered and complained in every
CITY town and hamlet in these great United
States "
Work Just Begun
Never. more than now, has 1T been neces-
sary 10 maintain and increase our organi-
zation for l believe the work before us
has just begun l hope every butcher in
this great country realizes the conditions
mat prevailed. to his detriment and the
conditions that yil surely prevail unless
combated by the solid front of our as
sociatlon. through the federal and state
governments, resortlng to the ballot box.
improve
condition.
II believe the time is not far distant-if
the butchers are true to themselves. their
feilo~men, and this great and beloved as
soclation or ours-when the government
can be induced to establish pubic abat-
toirs or foster the establishment of abat-
toirs by the retail butchers OF every CITY
OF enough inhabitants 10 warrant 1t Great
ing home market for cattle and live
stock and an incentive for the farmers of
the southern. middle and eastern states to
again devote their land to the raising and
marketing of live stock. May every mem
Der of the craft be imbued with the impor-
lance of the work in hand. Take the
cause home with you; go inspired with zeal
and determination to do your part In the
strengthening OF this association. The ac-
comp.ishment of universal organization of
this great country must revert to the bene-
NJ Of every butcher in the land and only
by organization and numerical strength
can the fundamental principles and objects
OF our association be realized-mutuaI pro-
lection and the betterment OF the condition
OF the retail butchers.
Benefits Of Organization.
Many evidences of successful and prac-
tIcal benefits OF organization are apparent