The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-17
PROBLEM IN PRICES OF BEEF
Are Getting the Worth Of Your Money? Question That May
Have Two Answers in Minneapois-Some Facts
About the Matter
About the Matter.

} Matter.
many more Minnesota corn-fed steers
on the market. South st. Paul could sup
ply the demand OF the whole northwest,
If the packers there could get the cattle
without paying a premium over Chicago
and other points AT present only a
small part of the Minneapolis meat comes
from South st. Paul. The lower grades
handled here by Swift & Co, are killed at
South st. Paul. All the other beef
comes from the southwest
1t does not seem that Minneapolis has
any great cause for indignation against
the meat men because this is Cow
town" and great consumer of poor
beef. The people Of this city get the
lower grades of beef because they do
not demand the better. A well known
retailer says there are very few res
taurants in the city that will buy the
best beef. Some which make great pre-
tensions and charge fancy prices serve
their customers cow beef" BY taking
cuts from large, we'll fed cows, they can
serve a steak which Is, to appearances,
first quality. When the knife goes into
1t you find the difference. The cheaper
restaurants serve sirloin of 15 or 20
cents, from lean, grass-fed beef
Not So Bad.
The fact is that If Minneapolis got no
worse beef than corn-fed COW, people
would have little cause for complaint.
The only thing that makes cow beef
tougher and less toothsome is the greater
age. Cows are seldom fattened and
killed for beef until they have seen their
best days. If they are fattened quickly
on corn they are fairly tender. The
worst meat that comes to Minneapolis is
lean, grass-fed cows and steers from
Minnesota dairies. There is no meat so
poor as poor steer, say the dealers, and
this is the cheapest grade sold. 1t Is dark
red in color and flabby to the touch, and
shrinks when 1t Is cooked into a leath-
cry 1ll-favored sight for a hungry man.
Such carcass sells, dressed, to the re-
taller at Az cents pound. He will sell
very little of 1t for a less price. When he
sells the choice cuts at the retail prices
already given for inferior beef. it will be
seen that the retailer gets a good profit.
If he charges more for such beef, he is
passing it off for something which is it
not w..
The best corn-fed beef now costs the
Minneapolis retailer 81 cents pound.
for an entire dressed carcass. There Is
less profit in selling it out at the top
prices quoted in the foregoing, than there
Is in handling the poor stuff. The reason
is that the poor cuts Of a fine beef, such
as the shanks, necks and platese, the
boiling pieces. sell for no more than the
same cuts off an inferior animal. They
may be more tender, but they are as
rule, very fat, and not as attractive to
the purchaser as the lean piece from
grass-fed animal. These cuts from a
corn-fed beef sell for less than the whole
sale price of the carcass, The extra
cents on every pound has to be made up,
and more than made up, from the best
cuts.
Protection by Law.
1t has been proposed that a law be en-
acted for the protection of consumers
requiring butchers to label every piece
they sell Cow beef" or "steer beef" The
meat men interviewed say that this would
not only be impractical, but it would kill
the sale Of some very good beef, and
would enable the retailer to work off
some Of the worst beef on the market at
higher prices, labeled quite correctly
steer beef" They say that the solution
for the problem Is for people to demand
the worth of their money. and not put up
with inferior meat when they, are paying
good prices. Some shops sell only the
better grades; many others carry. nothing
but inferior beef, because that IS all they
can sell. Where shop carries two
grades, it should keep them separate and
plainly labeled, so that the customer can
get the quality of meat he wants and
pays for. ,..'-s. ..-.f+
AS mutton consumers, Minneapolitans
fare better than they do in the beef mar
ket A meat man of experience told T h e
urnal man that, in his Judgment,
no cities in the country got such good
mutton as Minneapolis and st. Paul The
reason is that most of the mutton con-
sumed here is killed at South st. Paul.
and 1t is fed in Minnesota on the by
products of the -four mills This feed
makes the fattest and best favored NUT
ton In the country, and 1T commands this
| market. - ,-sr- .ss-..,.s. IN
South St. Paul Market.
1t has been charged that the South St,
! Paul plant does not expand and supply
| this market with beef because the other
| packers Of the "btg four will not let
Swift corral this market, but want it as
dumping ground. This, say the meat
men, is untrue, because Swift has Ne
edge on mutton here and the other pack
ers can't help 1T. If he could get the
cattle and command this market on beef
he would do SO. He has tried hard to di.
vert cattle to South St. Paul, for tina
saves him big freight rate and gives
! him an advantage in this market but the
shippers fight shy of South st. Paul. Ever
! the range cattle are as rule billed thr,
to Chicago, and only stop at South St
eul ~ 1eeu. Iney O1ten so on to Chi:
cago, refusing an offer by the St. Pan
buyer, and sell for the same price dowr
there, paying the added freight. Swift
has no trouble in getting the hogs tina
follow feeding cattle in northern Iowa
| With freight rates equally favorable he
would get the cattle.
Inc logic or commerce would demant
lhat enough western cattle to supply tn,
demand of the northwest for second an,
third grade beef should be killed at soutl
st. Paul, saving freight rates. Hereto
fore Mlnnesota's packing center has hal
i hard time of it In getting justice from
the railroads, which prefer to haul tn
cattle to Chicago, and make rates ac
cordingly. With better freight rates sout]
ST. Paul should have two packing plant
instead of one and should supply tn
market Of the northwest at lower price
than now obtain. In time much of tn
prime beef for this market should b.
killed In Minnesoto