The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-20
GET
THE BENEFIT
Of the High Prices Paid for
Beef.
FEEDERS WILL NOT SELL
Until They Can Get Their Own
Figures for the Stock.

There Is no beef trust working in this
city and the farmers are getting the ben
fit Of the high prices for stock said
Chas. Hunter. the proprietor OF the meat
market on East Douglas avenue. to d re-
porter for the Eagle yesterday. TIE
farmers have money and plenty Of it and
the high prices of feed has made them
stop feeding cattle to q certain extent
In this section OF the country all Of the
feed had 10 be shipped in and the far
mers did not want TO pay the high prices
in order to fatten their stock. some of
them have cattle that could be used by
the butchers, but they want too much for
them. They say they don't have TO sell
their stock unless they can get a big price
for them. SO we have q shortage Of good
BEEF cattle on our hands The farmers
vho DO sell their stock get a very high
price and they make some money, but at
the present prices CT feed. they cannot
make much.
Il DO not believe there is any beef trust
working TO get the prices Of beef higher
than they are at present. The farmers
are in sucf q financial condition at pres
ent that they do not have TO sen to the
packers Three or four years ago the
packers would get together apd fix O price
q which they would buy stock and they
agreed not 70 pay any more. Now they
have TO pay high prices or they viii not
set stock.
Another reason I have for thinking
there is no beef trust al present is that
we are selling beef at less margin than
we ever have in the eleven years ] have
been in business. Take a good steer and
the butcher or packer paXs S. per hundred
for him 1t takes mighty good animal
10 dress half Of his weight on foot. Then
we must sell the carcass at about thirteen
cents per pound to come out even. Now
cur prices for beef range from eight 10
eighteen cents per pound and you see
that We do not make any profit at the
present prices Of stock and beef. For
three months ] have been running this
market at about even. I have made no
profit on beef and have lost no money.
Now take carcass as we get ii. There
are a few choice cuts that we can sell
for eighteen cents per pound. Then on
down to eight cents we have 10 cut out
a great dea, of the bone when selling It
but have TO pay for the bone when buying
the carcass. Most Of the meat that we
set is sold for about the same price at
which we buy the carcass. so il is easily
seen where the profit goes TO. The pack
ers are not making any more money on
beef than we are. What is sold here is
butchered by the packers and we pay
them so much Tor il. They get so much
a head. What they kill themselves and
sell to us, they make little on. but not
what they used to- You VIII see that there
is an actice demand Tor good beef cattle
all OF the time None Of the packers can
set enough cattle.
THE cattle are not Of an extra quality
either. They are not fat enough and the
meat is not of as high quality as yoS
have been accustomed 10 getting for the
same money. The carcass does not cut
good and the meat is not as fine as when
the cattle had been fed on corn aud
given the best of care All of the catle
we get at the present time are what in
other. years we would call stockers. that
is cattle that have not been fattened SUI
hciently 20 make good beef. That is not
only the case here. but everywhere. The
farmer has not the feed TO fatten his cat
tie. so he just stocks them through the
winter and says he win let them run III
his pastures during the summer and he
viii feed them next year When the
packer and butcher must have cattle they
20 out and get whatever they can. The
farmer sets his price on his stock and he
tells the buyer they can take them OF
that price or he can let them alone and
when the butcher has 70 have cattle. ne
Win pay the price even If the cattle are
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