The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-04
PRICE OF
BEEF IS
HIGHER
Retail Dealers Fear That This
Indicates a Repetition Of Last
Years ManIpuIatlons.

New York. Aug 4.-Despite assurances
given by the packers that the advance
of one cent In the wholesale price or beer
last week was due TO natural causes ana
that II does not -presage further manipu-
lation of the market. retail dealers are
disposed to look upon IL as the beginning
OF operations that last year put the price
of meat UP TO an unprecedented ngure
Accordingly there is a good deal or anx-
iety in the meat stalls and small shops.
A week ago the price OF the whole beer
was ~ cents pound: now IL Is from sA TO
. cents. Meanwhile. the retail prices re-
main unchanged. porterhouse selling at
10 TO % cents. prime rib roast at 10 10 lS
cents. and other grades-of beef at about
the prices that have held for some
months. The retailers so far has stood
the loss.
What is going TO happen we don,t I
know" said one retail dealer; but IL
looks like the beginning OF a mahlpulatih1on l then
began with a small advance. and Kept
tho prices moving steadily upward 10y
small raises every few days. OF course
they have the situation In their own
hands and can do az they please.
"As far as we can see there is aoso-
lutely no reason or excuse Tor any W,
vance now. The condition of stock or az
kinds appears TO be normal; grain ana
grass have suffered nowhere enough to
cause any alarm, and there Is no extra
quarter of the globe But that makes
no difference IL the packers choose TO put
up prices. We can only stand and walt
A NATURAL ADVANCE.
Ferdinand sulsberger OF the packing
Arm OF Schwarzchild & Sulzberger' az
Forty-ffth street and First avenue, saiu
that he could not say there would be no
further advances in the price OF beef. bull
ali the indications were against such a
movement. First, however. ne explained
the advance OF last week.
''It was quite a natural one" he said
''It was due to a slight decrease In the
prices OF by-products. When we can get
a total OF. say, Sis for tho hide, horns
hoofH and other refuse OF a steer we car
sell the meat itself for less than we car
when the return upon the refuse Is only
$40.
There Is a regular market for the parts
OF an animal that we do not use. and we
count upon a certain return from tha'
source. This income and the price OF beel
must be adjusted at intervals. 1t was
tust such an adjustment that caused the
advance last week. That Is all there Is
In Il.
IT cannot predict the price OF beef. II
the supply OF cattle continues good prices
will not be advanced. From all that
can see the conditions are normal, and
there appears 10 be no reason for alarm
I don't think there will be any advances
soon"
The reports from the west were tha
while the best grades OF corn-fed steers
have become somewhat scarce. there Il
nothing unusual I'm this at this time oi
the year. Besides, the range cattle are
now coming in In large numbers To the
feeding places OF Kansas. Nebraska. lows
and other states and the prospect is re
ported TO be good for more than ade
quate future supply OF corn-fed stock. Il
IL In persistent and significant disregard
for these circumstances that the reports
are freely circulated. not only In Omaha
Kansas city and Chicago. but In the
East. that the packers have begun an
other systematic advance in prices.