West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-09-10
ARROGANT BEEF BARONS
They Are Again Planning to
Raise the Price of Meat.
YET CATTLE ARE PLENTIFUL.


Tho Administration's Injunction n Pro-
ceedings Have Not CHECKED Rapac-
ity OF the beef combIne-Farmer
md Consumers All suffer From
Workings OF the Trust.
How little has been accomplished by
President Roosevelt In his spectacular
trust hghting is becoming more and
more apparent. The trust OF all others
that is detested by the American peo-
pie is the beef trust. and when Attor-
ney General Knox commenced legal
proceedings against the beef barons no
action of the administration was more
npplauded. II was, however. pointed
out at the time that the injunction
which was asked for would be useless
or fall fur short OF stopping the extor-
tion OF the trust. and present wholesale
and retail prices OF beef prove the
futllity OF the half measure adopted by
the administration. II the president
had ordered his attorney general to in
dict tile beef barons under the criminal
clause of the antitrust law, the mem
bers OF the combine long before this
would have been serving term of i'm.
prisonment as the law provides. But
President Roosevelt aud his attorney
general could not steel their hearts to
such strenuous way OF bringing the
beef trust barons to time, and took tho
long and tedious path OF civil proce-
dure. by the injunction route. which
could but result Ia failure.
The people arc suffering and praying
for quick action, while the proceedings
are still in the courts and the extortion
continues. press dispatch from
Omaha. giving the condition OF the
market, says. "Already the rise In the
price OF beef has taken effect I'm mum.
bcr OF western cities and II is expected
TO reach New York and the east within
n few weeks"
The Philadelphia Bulletin. comment
Ing on this, declares:
IF this statement Is true Il indicates
that In spite Of the preliminary re-
verses which the beef trust has met in
the courts It's hackers believe that they
can safely give the screws another turn
and squeeze still higher profits out of
the consuming public"
That the rise IN the price of beef is
an arbitrary extortiOn by the beef
barons is made clear by the large in
crease OF the supply Of beef cattle in
Chicago and other markets. On Aug.
the Chicago Chronicle I'm It's market
report gives tho receipts Of cattle for
the year TO date as follows: 1903, ,eO3.-
OBS; 1902. 1.57O,153, showing an In
crease OF 823.s72 head for the present
year; 50 there n no scarcity of cattle.
The receipts Of sheep for the same
period also show an increase of ~
2e8 head The prices quoted IN the
same newspaper for corn fed western
steers was 81 to S525 per 100 pounds.
the highest price for prime becves be.
ing S6.05 and the lowest price quoted |
for steers being $275 The prices az
which the beef trust sells TO the butch
ers Is difficult to arrive at with exact |
ness. for neither the Chicago nor New |
York newspapers quote them, and the |
conclusion must be that the Wholesale
price OF dressed beef isy omitted for a
purpose. But the price OF dressed ma
tive beef ia New York on the same day |
as tho above prices OF cattle are quot |
cd was 05A 70 BIA cents per pound and !
refrigerator beef S& 70 cents per
pound,
The retail price of beef yaries 10
much. according to the qunlity and cut |
and the standing OF the shop at which |
II Is sold. that II IL unnecessary to I
quote the prices that tho butchers /
charge. The public can tx the price /
In its own locality and judge n the 4
price II Is paying accords with the |
market price OF cattle
Except In vory fow localities tho beef 1
trust controls the Wholesale beef mar. /
ket and has rules and regulations that /
make II almost impossible FOR the
butchers TO buy elsewhere. Any butch.
or, II he wishes TO, can give informn. /
tion of the oxtortion and monopoly of
the trust and how helpless the retailers
arc To- stop OF cvado its oxac0ons
Viewed from n political standpoint /
the beef trut IS monopoly reHftn /
ing tradc snJ competition and faIl /