The Topeka state journal., 1902-06-03
Trust Agitation and High Prices
Have Their Effect.
Topeka Ate In May 5000 Lbs.
Less Than a Year Ago.
THIS IS $4,000 WORTH.
In so, Days Decrease Has Been
5O'Tons.
Food Inspector Farnsworth
Gives Out the Figures.

Topeka is abstaining from meat It
is eating about half as much as it did
a year ago.
During the month of May Topeka ate
about $4,000 pounds less meat than it
did in May, 1901. This neat would have
cost Topeka If purchased. nearly Sl0,-
In April, Topeka consumed about 81
500 pounds less meat than in the same
month year ago. The cost would
$1,000
1t is believed. however. that TopekA
is paying as muen. If not more Tor the
meat consumed as it has ever paid 1t
is simply cutting down on the quantity
to hold the financial part of the trans
action to the old level.
This remarkable falling onin quantity
consumed is undoubtedly due 10 the
high prices on meat and the agitation
against the beef trust. Apparently the
bearing fruit.
There is no question that the figures
are accurate The city has consumed
about 80 tons less meat during the last
60 days than is usual 1t WAS I'm March
that the agitation against the beef trust
was commenced
The packers state that they are get
ting about as much revenue as ever out
of their meat trade, because they make
up on high prices what they lose on
small sales.
It is possible to ascertain from the
records III the office of City Food In
spector J. W H'arnsworth exactly the
number of pounds OF meat used in To-
peka each month Mr.. F'arnsWoTth-s 3
business is to inspect every pound OF
meat before it is placed on the retail
markets. He collects a fee of Is cents
per 100 pounds for all meat used on the
local markets. In this way he can tell
! lust how large the city's meat bill is
growing TO be In April. 1901. MI Farms
30 n coll cd in Tn Ar11sf
/ 1902 he collected only S194 n, showing n
falling off Of about g., 500 pounds in the
amount of meat inspected. In May.
1901 the fees amounted to $3.50. 81 The
I past month the total is only Sl63.65, rep
resenting a loss to the city OF 500 in
/ revenue and 9 falling off Of about CO.,
4 coo pounds in the amount of meat con-
( surned, as compared with May. 1901.
/ Food Inspector FarnswGFth SAYS ffne
! decrease IN the amount on meat hCius
used is not confined to Topeka but eN-
4 lists all over the country My expert
enoe in the retail trade shows ne the
cause Of the falling off People ia moo
J crate circumst stances who used to spend
! Is or 20 cents for piece of meat. stlii
/ spend 10 or 20 cents. and get sn1al'ei'
! piece. The poorer classes who buy tnelr
/ meat on credit, and the boarding houses
4 who have to give their boarders meat.
continue to buy about the same way
( they always have. The wealthy people,
/ OF course, get what they want at the
/ prevailing prices. Hotels which are III 4
! on the usual plan. and taurants man
/ age to cut down the size of their orders
! to customers, and thus keep their mea {
/ bill about down where it used to be
! The great falling off in the amount ol
meat used is therefore not hurting the
! the packers especially. because they are
getting as much or more money than
/ ever
Some of the big packing establish
ments are laying off many of their
/ hands. The commission firms have sent
out orders to send no more cattle to the
market for the present. The cattle have
been coming ia faster than the packers
/ could handle them. or rather. faster than
people win eat them. 1 look for the
price Of cattle to 90 down soon. The
grassers' are beginning to come onto
the market, and meat is likely 10 81
! off about 2 cents q pound.
Ia view of the fact that the price 0i
| meat is high and the consumption small
it is evident that the city council should
at once pass new ordinance raising the
inspection fee on meat If the citE
| should require 25 cents per 100 Tor All
| meat inspected, it would largely in-
! crease the revenues from this source,
and in view of the existing conditions
would be equitable and fair to the pack
] ers.