The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-25
FIGHTING The BEEF TRUST.

Attorney General Knox yesterday
announced that the government had
formally declared war on the beef
trust The extorton Of the packers
administration could no longer resist
the pressure to proceed against the
trust in the courts. The United States
district attorney at Chicago has been
directed to proceed against the trust
by the injunction route and restrain
the combination "l.om further pro-
Cet6ine under their agreement, which
clearly appear to be in restraint of
interstate trade"
1t is not difficult to believe that it
required a good deal of public pressure
to induce Attorney General Knox to
take action against a trust. He has
been the legal godfather OF more
trusts, perhaps. than any other law
yer in the United States. But the peo-
pie of the great cities of the East were
almost in open revolt against the meat
trust. The exactions of the trust had
become SO enormous that even wealthy
people felt compelled to organize
against it. A company was formed
in New York a few days ago, backed by
ample capital, to fight the trust. 1t was
contemplated to acquire several thou
sand acres of land in CUBA where cat
tie was to be bred and shipped to this
country This shows how far-reaching
the despotism of the beef barons has
penetrated Men who have money to
invest in cattle raising ought not to be
foreign territory, when there is so
much land that could be profitably
utilized 4or that purpose at home. Yet
the promoters of the Cuban scheme.
who are conservative businessmen, feel
no doubt that it would be profitable
DESPITE the fact that cattle brought to
the United States from Cuba would be
subject to the tariff duty. In all the
western States and Territories there are
plenty of grazing rands. The demand
for meat Is constantly increasing. AS
population grows the supply OF meat
must also become greater No substi-
tute for beef has yet been devised by
the wisdom of man, and there is no
Danger that the nation will in this
century at least. become converted to
vegetarianism, Beef will always be a
saleable commodity. We az to an ex-
ceptional degree a nation of meat
eaters.
Why then should conservative busi-
ness men seek Cuba for grazing
grounds instead of Arizona or New
Mexico or Texas or California or
Nevada? Because the beef trust has an
ally in the railroads and enjoys the ad-
vantage of rebates and discriminating
rates. 1t is not to be supposed that the
trust will always have this advantage
over it's rivals. TIL time must come
when public opinion VIII demand such
action by the government as will as
sure fair treatment by the railroads to
all classes OF shippers. a member OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission
in a recent address argued that the
crisis had already been reached; that
the government must now turn its at
~ 1ofA
ana prevent discrimination or leave
the public at the mercy of railroad
monopolies and the monopoles of
other kinds which have an under
standing" with the rallroaus. 1t is not
clear that government ownership of
railroads is either practicable or de
sirabIe. That may never come, except
as desperate measure to obtain re-
lief from the growing expressions Of
railroad monopolies. In such event it
is conceivable that the remedy would
be as bad as the disease.
On the other hand, public sentiment
is crystallizing into the conviction that
government regulation or railroads is
a necessity. The country does not want
any more paternalism in government
than 1t now endures. 1t demands, how
ever, in these days of monopoly that
the weak be protected from the strong,
that the individual producer be
guaranteed every privilege which Is
conceded to the corporation. However,
inviting the field may be, men will
not invest money heavily In cattle
$ raising in the United States IL they
know that, the beef trust will always
get better rates from railr ,1tts than its
rivals Those who propose to engage In
cattle raising In Cuba claim that they