, 1904-02-03
MEAT IS TOO DEAR
SECRETARY WILSON SAYS PRICE
To CONSUMERS is ALL OUT
OF PROPORTION.
Margin Between Farmers Price and
the Retailers is too Great-Price
of Meat Not Much Lower Than
When Price Of Cattle Was Cent
and Half a Pound Higher.

Washington. Feb. 3.-'Either the
former is not getting enough for his
beef or the consumer is paying too
much" said James Wilson. secretary
of agriculture. in answer to a question
as to the relation of the packing house
to an increase or a decrease in the
price of meat.
Fat cattle are not so dear "a they
We're a few years ago. and there are
good reasons why thew should not be.
But there are no very good reasons
why the consumer should pay as much
for his beefsteak as he paid a few
years ago. Whether the packer or the
retailer is to blame | cannot tell you.
The margin between those prices
what the farmer receives and what the
retailer pays, is much greater that it
should be.
when beef was at its highest two
Or three years ago it was clearly ap-
parent that there was a scarcity in the
material of which beef is made: the
corn crop had been very short. and
consequently beef became very dear.
The retailers put their prices up. Now
their prices are about the same. al
though cattle on the hoof are perhaps
$3.50 per hundred less than they were
at that time"
How much difference ought this to
make in the price of beefsteak?"
That's a question that cannot be
well answered in brief. The
highest priced beef is found on the
back of the animal and on the ribs.
The price of this should very much
more than that of the round and the
neck and other cheaper places. But
beef should be. in round figures, 20
per cent cheaper to the consumer than
it is now or the farmer should be get
ting 20 per cent more for his stock.
The trouble is mostly with the retail.
err, and where the packer is himself
engaged in retailing the trouble is
clearly with him
Then the farmers price and the
consumers price have been much near
err together in times past than they
are today"
Yes. much nearer. But how this
neighborliness of prices can again be
restored brings up the question of the
regulation of great combinations. This
is something that is being considered
now. The new department of COM
merce and labor has a bureau of cor
poration which is supposed to study
this question in the interests of all the
people.
with regard to the worlds prices
of beef, | have taken steps to ascertain
the extent to which we are meeting
competition in the British market
from South American countries.
While all the facts are not yet in my
command. am strongly suspicious
that the Argentine people are sending
ar increasing amount OF refrigerated
quarters of beef to Great Britain. This
economic movement ough normally to
affect our beef prices for the retailer
or the farmer. The Argentine people
cannot ship their livestock because
of the foot-and-mouth disease which
they have there. So they are COMPEL
ed to slaughter and ship their product
in refrigerated quarters, and they must
sell it for what they car get. The vol
ume Of this trade is increasing so fast,
from what l learn. as to ccoun for
some Of the cheaper prices of beef that
are now prevailing abroad over those
of a short time ago. This should give
us lower prices here. because the price
in London Of our live animals and II
refrigerated beef has much to do with
our prices here. We sell abroad every
year $3.50, 900 900 worth of animals
and animal products"