Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-19
WAR ON MEAT TRUST
Chicago Retailers Prepare to Or
ganize and Fight the Big
Packers.
Poor People Already Deprived Of
Meat OF Any Kind and
Quality.
Other Foods Also in the Corner
Prices Continue to
Rise.


meat dealers in Chicago and the sur
rounding region are to have an oppor-
tunity to combat the great meat trust.
The high-handed campaign conducted
by the packers, combine, resulting in
/ unprecedented prices, is to have organ
lied opposition as we'll as federal in
yestigation.
Butchers have been sufferers at the
hands of the trust. The people have
suffered by reason of the prohibitive
prices for meats; the butchers have
been enduring an organized effort to
drive them out of business.
They also have been subjected to
systematic blacklisting. and they have
been annoyed by the trusts arbitrary
"cornering' of supplies.
! In morning paper appears a small
advertisement which is likely to lead
to crystaliZation of the fight against
| the packers. This advertisement fol-
| lows:
Notice to Butchers-Will butchers
in Chicago and the surrounding coun-
try whose business has been injured
| by the combination of packers please
communicate with the undersigned?
Object, to form offensive and defensive
alliance. Address Q. II. 26O, Tribune
! Office
| Charges were made during the day
| by meat dealers, restaurant men and
others, who have felt the effects of the
skyrocket rise of prices, that the COM
bination of packers is controlling near
lily every line of food products. Along
with the heavy increase in beef prices
have come unprecedented advances on
pork loins, sheep. lambs, poultry, eggs
and other produce of the cold storage
field.
The packing firms of Armour, Swift
Hammond. Nelson Norris and S. & S.
are charged with working hand in hand
| in one of the greatest pricc-raising
combines the world ever experienced.
| Cold storage warehouses, controlled by
these companies, are being unlcade Of
supplies they have held for year or
more. These foodstuffs are going, too
at prices that were not even known in
war times"
| One instance was cited yesterday.
| Spring chickens" known technically
as Spring broilers," are being unloaded
on the market by the tens of thousands.
They are sold at prices ranging from
| is cents to "a cents a pound. They are
rot this years stock, but were killed
| last spring and have since lain, each
carefully wrapped in tissue papeE,h In
the big cold storage houses. Had they
been disposed of year ago they would
have sold at price from to 8 cents
lower But they were held until the
present combination could be brought
about and prices boosted.
Behind the alleged conspiracy Of
packers are said to be the railroads.
The transportation lines in the pool are
said to perform the jugglery which is
made the basis of the claim that stock
and other supplies are scarce This
Is the one argument the packers ad-
vance for the leaps in prices.
The railroads. 1t Is said, see to 1t that
only certain numbers of cattle and live
stock and certain amounts of produce
reach the slaughter pens, the storage
houses and the markets each day. With
the supply thus controlled the packers
point to the receipts in attempting to
prop up their claims of Scarcity"
Great quantities of dressed meat and
produce are rushed into the storagt
houses This creates an artificial scar
city, and thus excuse is raised for
further turning of the pegs and an
other hosting Of the price to the con-
sumner. AS soon as the great refriger-
ators are filled further shipments from
the west, by prearrangement with the
railroads, stop. Then the storagel stuff
lis pushed off into the markets at rec
ord-breaking prices. So strong is the
combinations control of the field that
the middleman-the wholesaler and re-
tailer-can find nothing else to buy. He
must take the refrigerated stuff or
nothing.
"The combination can reach out to
every branch of the food supply" said
one of these dealers. The combined
capacity of the big refrigerating plants
controlled by this pool is far beyond
what is needed for caring for meats.
Provisions of all kinds can be gobbled
up, stored here. and held until a COR
ner can be practically effected, and
then unloaded at any price desired. 1t
was this method that was behind the
egg market some weeks ago. Butter,
eggs and poultry already are affected.
and vegetables and fruits are being
drawn In
Prices continued to soar during the
day. In every line of meat and produce
the price was forced upward. Whole
salers and retailers contend that they
are being ground until they must sell
meat almost at q loss In order to hold
on to their customers. They hope that
"easier" times will come soon or that
some such Offensive and defensive"
alliance as is suggested in the fore
going may be the means Of their liber-
alton.
The householder who wanted por-
terhouse steak yesterday had to pay &c
or 2S cents pound for It, Srloin
steaks commanded the same figure. A
few weeks ago such cuts were selling
for 20 and % cents.
Round steak commanded from IA to-
is cents pound. The price was 10
cents and less a short time ago.
Roasts cut from the brisket and
shoulders went at from 10 to IA cents
a pound. Eight cents formerly was a
good price in the eyes of dealers.
Chuck steak was advanced. This
cheap product sold from 10 to IA cents.
1t was in the Scent class until the
present advance began.
Boiling meat from the neck ranged