The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-07
INEFFECTIVE REMEDIES.

The recommendation of the president Of
the National Retail Butchers and Meat
Dealers Association in his address to the
meeting in Washington that the several
States take up for their respective cities
the establishing of public abattoirs where
the butchers can do their own slaughtering,
encourage home industry and the raising
of all kinds of stock in the immediate
neighborhood of cities seems open to objec-
ton. He does not make it clear how the
States can take up for the cities the estab-
lishment of abattoirs for the butchers in
the vicinity, but if he means that the
State shall do this at the public expense
his suggestion is impracticable, because
state legislatures cannot be induced to go
into the business of building and support
ing abattoirs. If States are to participate
in the work of breaking down the packers
monopoly they would do it more effectively
by stimulating the growing of cattle and
sheep in those Eastern and Southern States
where there is much waste land. If cattle
were sure to bring anything like present
prices something might be done in the way
of raising cattle, but when the price shall
fall back to s. a hundred pounds the coun-
try that does not raise corn cannot afford
to embark in cattle-raising. The South
might turn it's attention to cattle growing,
using cotton seed for fattening instead of
shipping it, The impression seems to pre-
vail in the East that any country that has
| large barren areas can be devoted with
| profit to raising cattle for beef. Such bar
rem wilds may do to produce cattle fit to be
| fattened, but when it comes to fattening
so as to get prime beef corn is now the
only known feed that can be relied upon.
| Cotton-seed cake may be useful, but corn
is necessary to make the best beef.
Mr.. Wagner's idea of an abattoir which
every butcher could use who should pur-
chase dozen cattle to kill for his own con-
sumers will not bear investigation. The
butcher who sells twenty-five carcasses a
week cannot slaughter them in competition
with those packers who kill thousands a
day. Even If he could slaughter as eco
nomically as the packers the small profit
which would be ample for them with thou
sands of cattle would ruin the man who
simply killed few cattle to sell his own
| customers. The large packer suffers no
waste by throwing away any part of a
steer. but the small slaughterer cannot
afford to attempt to make money on the
parts which he has always considered as
refuse. SO far as cheapness in preparing
for the market is concerned, the big pack
ers have all the advantage. No small deal
er can hope to compete. If the thousands
of retail butchers desire to break the mo-
nopoly of the big packers they must pro-
coed to construct yards and abattoirs like
those of the packers and do competing
business. 1t is possible that something
may come of the proposition to raise beef
cattle in the South and East and in Cuba,
but it is scarcely probable, for the reason
that these sections have not and cannot
raise the corn necessary to produce the
best beef. The report that a company has
been organized which will set up a rival
plant in the cattle-selling country is a
much more practical proposition. The day
of small things in the marketing of meat
as well as in the making of iron or cotton
cloth or carriages, is of the past Mean
time. let us hope that the stopping of rail-
road rebates to the large packers and a
finding Of the courts that the packers
methods are In restraint of trade will put
an end to whatever exactions the beef
combination may be guilty of.