Bisbee daily review., 1904-05-28
THE BEEF MARKET CONDITIONS

The conditions of the beef alarke for the year 1903 were very unusual The years 1901, 1902 and 1903 were perhaps, taking them all mali. th, most prosperous years in the beef in dustry in the history of the country Up until the beginning of 1903 the products of beef cattle of all kinds generally shared Nlitterally in the profits which have been enjoyed by every man throughout the length and breadth of the and who labors with his hands in the production of any thing of beauty or utility At the be. gining of the year 1903 there was a sudden drop in the price of beef, af- fecting at first both live beef cattle aud dressed beef. From July l. 1903. the prices of live beef cattle con. to decline, but the prices of dressed beef systematically advanced. and the greatest disparity between the two existing at any one time within 2 period of five years was reached in the month of August last, and in the month of December last, the lowest price of beef cattle for more than five years prevailed throughout the mar kets generally These unusual con diuons can not be accounted for fully or satisfactorily by natural causes.
 The laboring man is able 10 buy his beef today as year ago or two years ago. There is as much demand for beef as there ever was, and the re- tail price of beef to the consumer is as high as at any time the beet trust prosecution was initiated. Our export demand was the largest in 1903 ever known in our history. We exported more beef that year in its various products than had ever been cone before. It is therefore difficult to explain or account for this decline in the price Of beef cattle on natural causes.
 Every other food product, bread stuffs, wheat, corn and oats have all systematically advanced right along over this period in sympathy with the general condition of prosperity in which We are living.
 Without natural causes furnishing a solution of the problem, we must turn to the stock yards of the country as being one of the main difficulties of the country in the matter of prices.
 The packers, too, enter into the fleecing the public in the matte: of beef prices. The packing interests r1ontrol the markets principally in their own interests. They operate as one big firm, but through a com munity of interests procedure, they are unabled to take advantage of :he situation. When cattle are plenti- full they agree on a low price, and when 10 show up in large numbers, a small raise is made in price to stimu- late shipments, and when they ma terialize there invariably follows a sharp declin. There is no competi- ton in the buying of cattle. The cattle are never lost sight of after they have been bidden upon, and fl NDts are o4alpPtN to d41oNnft lLdl they bring much the same price that he was offered in the first market He has to take the first price. There is no difference in the markets, Inc the added cost of freight. and yard age is a penalty for not having sold at the :rst offer.
 No monarchial government for any great length of time. has permitted a monopoly to exist in anyof the great staple products of the country. An outraged public sentiment will de mand that no longer shall there be a monopoly in any of the great staples of the people. They will demand from the next National legislators, such measures as may be necessary to determine once and forever that no longer shall the food of the people be used as a means of feeding the iD- satiable greed of a few men, who while engaged in a legitimate busi- ness, are engaged in it in an illigiti mate way.