Evening journal., 1904-07-16


and show what the strike has done
throughout the country towards cutting
down the supply and running up the price
of beef. In the list Wilmington shows up
well so far as scarcity is concerned.
Although local butchers are doing their
utmost to act fairly by their regular GUS
toners, and viii do so untii the end. there
IS but little prospect OF immediate relief
from either, a beef famine or nigh prices.
Aspect Serious.
The strike IN tho west IS assuming a
most serious aspect.
Negotiations for peace are practically
at a standsull and the strike will con-
tinue until one side or the other abates
something of the demands made up 10
the present time.
Both sides are anxious for q peaceable
settlement, but the stumbling block to
a final adjustment IS that neither side -
prepared to allow the other to dictate
the hasis of the arbitration.
Samuel Gompers is in Chicago direct
ing the strike. 1t was rumorcd late last
night that there would be a tremendous
sympathetic strike OF all kinds Of t~ios,
which would tie up the packers absolute
ly.
Markets Today.
Although there is aiways percep.ibl,
falling of in the meat trade at this sea.
son of the year on account OF many per
sons being out of town. it is more marke,
today than in recent seasons. beyond th'
fact Of persons being away the locp
butchers attribute the slump in trade q
the general hesitancy Of the poorer clas
of people to expend money for meats a
the present time, tkey preferring to un
dergo a season of fast In this respect an
subsst without the use of beef IN orde
that they may not feel the want of it 81
keenly should wholesale prices soar sti.
higher and thereby compel retailers =
raise their prices TO such a figure that fl
purchase would be entirely out Of tn
question.
The stock on hand, it is claimed, vii
not last over another market day, unles
relief comes in the meantime.
Retailers Indignant.
Retail dealers are Indignant at wna
they consider the uniaS treatment ac
corded them by wholesalers, in the pres
ent crisis. Cattle, they say, which wer
shipped before the strike. apparently
raised in price at every mile Travelled east
ward. This they say, is unjust.
Not only has the price Of beef gone ~
but mutton and lamb has jumped in pric
also and apparently without cause be
yond the scarcity of it. There is pracri
cally no meat Of this class IN the marke
as none has been received IN Wilmington
since early in the week.
As an instance of the wholesalers gree
a retail dealer states that on Monday las
a shipment Of sheep arrived from tn
west and a part Of them were disposed O
to butchers at Sc per pound, wholesale.
The next day the consignees raised tn
price of the balann Of the shipment t
12c per pound and butchers were com
PEELED to pay 1t or go without.
The salt meat trade has also fallen oi
to a greater or less extent and marke
baskets today are filled chiefly with veg
etable and fruit products.
Other Market Slow.
The falling of in the meat trade appear
TO have had its effect upon the fruit an
] vegetable markets as dealers today, wit
but few exceptions, pronounce them slow
There is a possible exclusion TO this, tina
of the sale of potatoes which remains a'
tive and firm a 81 65 per barrel. This
believed to be the lowest price that WI
be reached by that staple article OF foo
this season.
Some farmers are allowing their pots
toes to remain in the ground as they
not think a higher price will be reached
Isaac n Elliott sold today about 2
bushels of white potatoes at the prevail
ing price. There is no percepr5le chang
in the prices Of other products either {
vegetables or fruits over -ast saturday
market although less activity is evince
and persons move about among the dea
ers doing much more priGI2g than buying
Peaches are beginning TO come IN
greater quantities, but not N sufhcier
numbers yet TO make any marked chang
in price.