The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-09-18
Former Auditor of Packing Com
pany Told Beef Trust Inquiry
About Methods Practiced. :.
ISSUED ALLOWANCE VOUCHERS.
Joseph Steinkamp's Statement
That He Had Been Instructed
to Sell Tainted Meat Caused
Tilt Among Attorneys.

AT the Beef Trust inquiry YESTERDAY
Joseph Schlecht, vice president of the West
erh Carriage Company, No. 7e South
Fourth street. formerly auditor in st. louis
tor nelson Morris & Co.. stated that while
ne was In the employ OF the packing COM
pahy IL was an everyday occurrence for
nHn 10 I. n allowance vouchers made in
favor OF customers who were allowed a ra-
bate.
.~Ihese vouchers said Mr. scb,scb,
were usually for one-fourth to tbree-
dourths OF a cent a pound. 1t was the
meats way or cutting the price of
aIound the agreement entered into nv ai
ne companies not to undersell each other
10" were the prices communicated TO
YOU, asked Attorney General Crow ="
.Telegraphed to us from Chicago"
we're your prices the same as those
grade OF meat?" ~
had "Pid you ever have to dispose of any
MOI Il was not in that department and do
torney fer the packing Companies. Mr..
Scniecht said that when cattle were bought
at the East St. Louis yards by the COM
pany the prices paid were Immediately teIe-
siapned to headquarters at Chicago.
~lhe company had to have these prices
9eIore IL could make the price on the
old II not?' inquired Mr.. New.
come company always required it"
ALLOWANCE VOUCHER.
| Schlecht stated that an explanation had
10 go with an allowance voucher and that
me superintendent of the st. Louis coolers
before a salesman could promise a voucher
and before they, were paid each paper had
10 be approved by the local auditor.
He stated that all the local manager, re-
eeived from the Chicago officers OF :he dsf-
undersell the rate. Mr.. Schlecht stated
that the companies had combined on prices
There was never anything said to you
about a maximum price, was thersT' asked
ME- @N oeS SIR
Henry Bockstruck. who has meat mar
kets at No 12D South Broadway and at
did a business of about 100000 a year and
haa bought from al the packing Companies
Haze you found that all the companies
nave what Is known as a minimum price1"
asked the Attorney General
said Mr.. Bockstruck. but / have bought
meat from nearly every packing company
dc M business Soa ! ms.1 here a. 2 different rate
Crow, that one company vim sell You
meat at 81 cents a pound and another COM
No. Thy have what they call a plan
Of Strengthening 1t up with ne. For In
stance, I 20 to Swift and Company or Nell
Company and buy a bill Of goods They
say to me. Now. when you come 1rouni
you,' and they always do. When I go
around again they give NE cash or meat TO
the amuont Of the rake-of. rebate or dis
count that IL had been agreed I should
have"
CONCESSIONS TO BIG DEALERS.
On cross examination by Mr.. New. Mr..
Bockstruck stated that he was accounted.
~ ehA sA~aNta-. N arr I4ala- a~< -oE
concessions that 1t would be impossible fer
a smaller dealer to get. He stated that he
had been in business in st. Louis for the
Joseph steinkamp. a city. meat inspector.
who was for several years in the employ Of
Dressed Beef and Provision Company.
stated that while he was working for the
Co, swift & Co. Cudahy and Nelson Nor
ris & Co:-had an agreement as to a sched-
How do You know 20 asked the Attorney
General.
Il was manager Of the cooler department
IN nlw 3, Louis com, l9s Nelson mv nr MOTIFS is, q &c Co. , and
made out by Swift & Co. for the local mar
ket- The representatives of the different
a week. generally on Wednesday night, and
the next morning a revised price list was
Mr.. Steinkamp stated that once he discoy-
cred n representative OF Armour & Co. was
selling pork at a quarter of a cent a pound
- AA1AA NAG hAA@S a6AC<1 abOA-
II called the attention of our superintend-
ent to the transaction OF the Armour man"
said Mr.. Steinkamp. The superintendent
that the salesman had probably
out before his price list reached the
Office"
Questioned as to the quality Of the meat.
he sold. Mr.. S~teinkamp said sometimes the
beef; hams and sausage were very bad
the attorneys for the defense.
We'll. / mean that some Of IL was so bad
was not mt for use In any shape"
What did you sell 1t for?'
The companies instructed me to sell n
and 1 had to do 1t to hold my job"
To whom did you sell this bad meat?'
Most of 1t was sold to peddlers."
ID you remember any Of their names?s
SOLD BAD NEAT TO PEDDLERs.
No. i don't. but it was almost an every
lay occurrence. We sold this tainted meat
TO hueksters and peddlers after we had
! Ior whatever they could get to cheap res
and people who could not aford
buy a good quality"
Here the lawyer for che defense suggested
, ,1m Mr: steinkamp ought to go and give
neat, and a lively tilt between the attor-
ieyS on both sides followed. growing IN bit-
erness until. Commissioner Keiniey inter
cred and ordered that the inquiry proceed.
Closing his testimony. Mr.. Steinkamp
tsted that sausages were painted with =
nemfcaf wash to improve the Appearance
Nc 70 prevent decay or odor.
,Inis was not an occasional proceeding
aid Mr.. ~Steinkamp. 1T was a part OF
very days work to gather up ali the rew
ants. Doctor them up with chemicals and
Materials" oeo
To,dsy's session win begin at II o'clock.
ne work In St Louis tonight. when the
ouit VIII adjourn for a few days to take