The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-16
1HlDi Tz1rs scoMR'AllIsl'sY'

mora Street. Mutual Phone, 10.
Rejected communications viii not be 70.
Burned unless accompanied by stamps
WEDNESDAY. APRIL IS, 1so2.
5 -----==2
THE BEEF Trust.
Tho Staunton News says:
The Richmond Times published Few
days ago very interesting discussion o.
{ Che so-calied Beef Trust. Inc lines
s showed that this trust Is simply a MYTH
fact which IS very potent to those VINO
have taken the trouble to investigate
There Is no monopoly whatever IN tne
cattle business. and II would be very oth-
tic1,lt TO establish such a monopoly, as
production covers too wide an area LOO
much OF the world. to combine easily.
There are several forces combining 70
nut IN prices-short corn crops. increased
consumption and large inroads by increas-
& ang population on grazing, lands. being me
chief, The cattle are simply not IN the
country. but have been culleds over time
s and again, consumption. as we have De-
fore stated In these columns, having
caught right up with the supply.
We do not pretend to say that there
= no combdnasion among the great estan-
lianmsnts In this country which handle
s meats Such . combination y alleged
ga ie Il said eant there - an understand
enx bstwsen these large concerns that
they will maintain priceA It 10 also ale
aa,6 thas the combinations have special
rates With the railroads. which gives them
m aAyantags over the small concerns.
kNn~ hNv a n,
advanfaEo over foreign compstihon In the
tariff on foreign cattle. This tax. !" says
& ths Philadelphia Record '.must be paid
20 the trust Tor as the duty on meat -
L practically prohibitory no revenue from
at nows into the public treasury. And
; q suves nerely tn enhance the profit ex-
xraeted by the trust from the American
3 consumer There 10 . tax OF 1915 on
evssy head OF cattle, s1.bo on every hog.
Is cents on every sheep that is brought
across the border OF Canada or Mexico.
But our contention Is that there are
other reasons for the rise in the price
i Of meats. From statistics at hand, we
aearn that between the years 1850 and 1892
the number OF oxen and other cattle in
the country almost doubled, rising from
el,231, 600 to 37,6 ,223s. Under those cir
i cumstances, It is not surprising to learn
chat the price Of meat fell to a. point at
which no profit was left stock-ratsers
sn tho West, as much as In the East
scomplained bitterly. as we all recall. that
there was no profit in raising meat for
tho market.
But from 1890 to 1900 a great change took
place The number Of cattle fell off one
fourth. being on January i, 1900. 27,e1o,o54.
and we are further Informed that no per-
ceptible increase has taken place since
then. IA large; cattle-raiser in Virgins,
said in our hearing the other day that
during the past several years the demand
{ for American cattle had been greater than
the supply. And this is not hard to un-
derstand when It Is known that the mum,
{ Der OF cattle has decreased in the face Of
a very large Increase in our population
and an increased demand abroad for
American meats.
The decrease is not confined to oxen.
Tho number OF mich cows remained
ebous stationary from 1890 to 1900. while
I the number Of swine fell from 51,6o2, $50 in
{ 1880 to IS. 651, 6s1 In 1899. and has shown no
i increase since There was a decrease in
4 the number OF sheep of 100000
In view OF these figures and facts. the
rise in the prlco OF meat was inevitable,
trust or no trust, and those who raise
cattle and sheep and hogs arc certainly
getting a benefit out OF the situation It
As all nonsense to say that the Beef
Trust is getting all the profit, While the
etock-raisers are getting none.
In our opinion. there are just two
things to do in this alleged meat trust
one is to take away from the combines
any advantage OF railroad rates which
they peculiarly enjoy. The roads have
no right to mako such discrimination in
favor OF the trusts and against tho small
I a1ealers. The next thing to do is to re-
peal the tariff on cattle and give the con-
gunner of meat the benefit Of foreign
compettion.
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