Holbrook argus., 1902-08-09
CATTLE DEALERS, FARMERS
 AND STOCKMEN
Should Co.Operate With the Butchers Boa'd of Trade of San Francisco
 to Fight the Meat Trust.


 the Eastern beef trust has designs upon the markets on the Pacific Coast the San Francisco Butchers Board of Trade adopt resolutions to aid the trade by. refusing to buy any of the meats which, after the inauguration of busi- ness by the trust here, will be shipped across the continent by the carload.
 The members of the Buthers' Board of Trade, numbering about 900, have begun their fight against the trust. Several years ago when the trust sent refrigerated meat from the East the butchers did not appeal to the people in vain. Every attempt to undersell meat dealers was frustrated, the resi- dents preferring to pay from to 5 cents pound more for California beef than for the Eastern article. The fight was waged bitterly for long period, with the result that refrgerat- ed meat such as the trust managers sought to sell at unusually low figures was withdrawn from the trade, and local dealers were privileged to con- duct their business without opposition from the great monopoly. But recent ly the vast plant of the Western Meat Company at Baden, which is owned by the Swift and Armour interests, the head and front of the trust has be- come active.
 Secrecy is Ominous.
 Tie secrecy with which the agents of the Beef Trust are working is deem- ed by dealers and packers to be omi- nous. They realize that the successful termination of the negotiations now pending for the acquisition of the larger packing concerns and livestock inter- ests of California by the larger raisers would place the monopoly in control of the market and practically wipe out the business of hundreds of meat deal- CTS who are now carrying on profit able trade.
 Captain John II. McMenomy, presi- dent of the Butchers Board of Trade of San Francisco, in discussing the situation yesterday, said:
 ''I have known for. some time past that the trust was operating with a view toward securing control of the local market. All dealers know by experience that if the trust secures control they are out of it. That is to say, none of them will be allowed to iO DuSIICSo CACtDb dS dSculS TUT tll6 monopoly, handling trust beef and paying such prices as the combine may demand It would be a public calamity for the trust to get control here, and the organization 1 represent will fight it tooth and nail. We will win if we have the support of the public and press.
 Effect of Trust Rule.
 'If the designs of the trust as re- gards this market are successfully carried out, every raiser of stock will be at its mercy. Farmers will be forced to ship their stock to this market and accept such prices as the monopoly is willing to pay for it. The farmer will be forced to sell at the prices offered or suffer his stock to die of old age on his hands. This is the case in the East, where the trust is al-power- ful, the result being that stock is sold by farmers for what it will bring, while the trust sells it in the form of beef at a stated price, greatly at variance with the price paid the raiser. Owing to the high prices demanded the consumption of meat decreased materially and beef slaughtered for the trade was canned. In this way hundreds of thousands of cattle were needlessly slaughtered and the meat is now being shipped abroad in cans."
 The Trust will try to win and money IS no object Therefore, it behooves all farmers and stockmen to take notice of the actions of the Butchers Board of Trade of San Francisco, and stock men and others should not favor the Trust as aganst-themgelves.
 'Did you ever salt sheep?" asked the farmer of the new hired man who came from Colorado.
 'No," replied the hired man, "but I've had considerable experience in salting mines. "-Ohio State Journal.