The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-24
A FAMINE IN MEATS
PACKING HOUSES UNABLE TO SUP
PLY DEMANDS OF BUTCHERS.
H0USEKEEPERS IN A BAD FIX.
MANY WILL CUT OUT THE MEAT
COURSE FROM SUNDAYS DINNER

President Gardner, of the Butchers
Protective Association, Says That
the Meat Famine is Right in Sight.
Little in Local Refrigerating
Plants and None Coming in to the
City-ReasOn for Scarcity Too
Much for understanding of Local
DeaIers-NaturaI Causes, Says Man.
ager Steinheimer, of the Armour
Packing Company, Are ResDOn-
sibIe for the Trouble.
A famine in meats, following fast
upon the recent prevailing abundance
of political rows, is the latest distress
ing condition Savannah is obliged to
face. The butchers say there will be
little or no Western beef in Savannah
to-day or tomorrow.
The beef has not been coming in to
the city. The reason for this it is diff
ficult or impossible to explain, though
the butchers are profuse in declara-
tions that there have been no railway
accidents or other legitimate explana-
tions of the present condition of af-
fairs. The packers, in the meantime,
explain that whatever scarcity exists
is due to thoroughly natural causes.
Mr.. NJ. S. Gardner, leading Savan-
nah butcher and president of the
Butchers Protective Association, said
last night that the famine is right in
sight.
Packing Houses Short.
There is little or no beef in the re-
frigerating plants of the packing house
agencies in Savannah" said Mr.. Gard
ner, land none is coming into the city.
Two or three cars of beef are on the
way to Savannah, but 1 have private
advices from Memphis that say these
cars will reach Atlanta tonight. and
this means that they can't get to Sa-
vannah before Sunday morning.
Il am not in a position to explain
the threatened beef famine said Mr.
Gardner. Il don't know whether the
situation is intentional, on the part of
the packers or whether it is due to
an accident. l do know that it i'm
ponds. 1 think any one who goes down
to the market and inspects the stalls
of the butchers tomorrow will quite
realize l am not exaggerating the sit
uation.
II am fortunate myself in having
enough beef with which to supply my
customers and a portion of the general
public and there are one or two others
in the same good fix. But the great
majority of the butchers; when they
come to investigate the situation, will
find themselves right up against it"
Says There's No Famine.
Mr.. John G. Steinheimer. local rep
resentatiVe of the Armour Packing
Company, did not view the situation in
the same serious light.
ut is true" he said. there has been
some scarcity of beef, but it cannot
properly be called famine. Speaking
for my own company, 1 can say we
have had no difficulty in filling orders
from our customers during the past
week, and we have plenty of beef now
on hand for this purpose.
THE scarcity now existing results
from the fact that last week the pack
ers had more stock than they could
handle, and in consequence were COM
PEELED slightly to reduce prices in order
to move their meats promptly. Nat
urally they all scaled down their or
ders and, instead of there being too
much meat there is too little. Our
selves, while we have been in a posi-
ton to supply our customers, have not
had enough stock to cater to the out
side trade"
1t is the Outside trade" who have
been making the most strenuous kick.
They have sent in orders to the pack
ers, which have been met with a polite
intimation they cannot be filled. These
butchers will suffer a loss in profits,
but quite as usual the ultimate discom-
fort will be borne by the consumer, who
will either cut the meat course out of
of the menu for his Sunday dinner or
pay for it high price.
Home Beef in Market.
Despite the scarcity of the Western
article there is considerable local beef
on the market, and it is coming to fill
a gradually increasing place in the
thoughts of housekeepers and the esti-
nation of epicures. That these results
have been reached through the potent
force of events is perhaps all the bet
ter for the local product, for people are
coming to understand that when prop
erly fattened and killed and kept the
local beef cattle need make no conces-
sions, when it comes to furnishing lus-
cious steaks, to his Western brother
of the plains.