The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-04-13
BEEF TRUST TRYING
TO DRIVE RETAILERS
OUT OF BUSINESS
Prices Of Ali Kinds of Meats
Put at Ex0rbitant Rates.
TU0 HIGH FOR SOME PEOPLE
Butchers Almost Distracted Over the
Situation ana Say Big Packers Are
Tying for Market Stalls.

Some surprising advances in the price
OF meat have Bsen made BY the meat
trust Ia the course Of the past week.
and those Neutrality-suspicious. who desire q
too5h5ome bit of lamb. pork. or veal viii
have 10 pay prices that are remarkably
hign. About Ten days ago the word got
out that the meat trust vas going TO
advance wholesale prices. but 1t was
said he advance would not be enough
to affect the retail buyers How true
this statement was may be seen by
comparing prices now paid by The whole
salers with those paid ten days ago.
Beef has been advanced 50 on the nun
d. ell pounds and retailers say they must
get =heir money hack from the consumer
or 20 out Of business They are going
10 put their proft-saying increase on
the better grades OF goods. as the lower
grades are sold 10 people 10 whom the
slightest retail advance means much and
who viii not buy at ali If they do not
get the meat at their accustomed prices.
All OF the choice and higher grade
steaks and roasts are selling today for
more than they were week ago. and
there is no telling how long this will
continue
Increase of 700 Per Cent
Lamb. which sold on Saturday for 30
cents retail was selling at i to IS cents
retail a year 90, and now costs the
butchers that much at wholesale Loina
Of pork selling at % and % cents on Sat
urday, retail, were 13 cents retail a year
ago. and are now costing the butchers
that much. As with the beef. the pur-
ehasers Of the better grades of pork and
2srl5 VIII have to bear practically all
The additional cost to the butchers
Butchers by on Monday 10 last them
until Friday, and cn Friday buy for Sat
urday. The prices we're jumped so from
Iast Monday 10 Friday that the retail
price or good Esst had 10 be put Up >
cents pound and the sales were c-sn-
seQueE5Iy much smaller than the retail
eTs expected.
The butchers and meat stand men are
complaining bitterly over the present
condition OF affairs. and say If they DO
not obtain some relief they win be
forced 10 90 out Of business. Even Inc
weil-to-do classes have limit beyond
which they viii not 90 in buying 1eaJ.
and already there IS so much protest
over the prices necessarily charged shat
The dealers are nearly distracted
War on the Retailers.
There is a belief on the part Of butch
ers that the meat trust is establishing
stalls in the markets. and intends u
deal directly with the consumer. thus
wiping out the Independent middlenen,
and there is 2 probability that the ad-
vance IN prices was not made so mucn
for the purpose OF making Immediate big
money. but for the purpose of driving 10
the wall as many as possible OF the re
tailers in order 10 broaden the field fer
The trust retail stands
II has been proven that the trust has
for a long time been dealing directly
with hotels, restaurants. and ether large
dealers. TO the detriment Of the Iegiti-
mate middlemep, but it was not before
known that it was going to cater for
family trade.