The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-08-31
BEEF TRUST BALKED
FAILED TO GAIN CONTROL OF
THE BRITISH MARKET
English Folk bought Argentine Cat
tie, Refusing to Take Superior
American Cattle at High Prices
Why Packers Kept up the Fight


defeated in it's efforts to control the
dressed beef market in England by the
cheapness and excellent quality OF Ar
gentine beef which is being shipped
to England in large quantities.
From the first the beef trust was
handicapped by the price OF Argen-
tine beef which was sold at that time
four cents per pound cheaper than
the American meat. During the ex-
detrimental stage of the steamship ar
engagements and their cooling cham
bers, the American beef realized higher
prices and readily found a market in
London and New York. 1t was much
easier to carry beef across the At
lantic in seven days than to transport
it from South America, nearly 5000
miles, passing through the tropics
en- route, in thirty days.
Americans Got inferior Meat
Armours, Swifts, Cudahys and other
firms from Chicago made use OF the
English market and at once established
branch houses in London, Liverpool,
Glasgow and other principal points.
Expert officials were sent over from
Chicago to convince English butchers
how injurious Argentine beef would
be. The Argentine in 1902 was at its
height. The finest cuts were sent to
the English market. The inferior
brand was and still is reserved for
consumption in the United States.
Chicago and London papers took up
the question and columns were print
ed for or against Argentine beef The
public questioned their butchers on
the subject, but the meat merchants
would not admit that they kept any
other than home killed beef.
Argentine Forg-s Ahead
The term home killed" has wide
Interpretation in England. 1t may
mean English, Scotch, Canadian,
American or Argentine cattle so long
as the animal was slaughtered in
England. At the DeptfOrd cattle mar
ket it was easy to tell the Argentine
beasts by their long curved horns and
general savageness in the pens. Sew
eral cattlemen were injured by them,
and it was not uncommon for some
of the young steers to jump barrica1es
five feet high.
Gradually the quality and quantity
of the Argentine beef increased and
the demand for American beef be-
came less and less on the London
market. While admitting slight
superiority in quality the English
butchers were looking out for the
money end and difference OF three
cents per pound was great factor
| in the settings powers of the South
American product
Beef Trust capitulates
The beef trust has now realized
that the English market is practically
out of it's hands. Its trade has fallen
by nearly one-half.
| 1t has decided to cut down it's Of
| flee expenses as much as possible and
several officials of the trusts have re-
turned to Chicago.
The American packers make no pro-
! fit on their sales at ten cents, while
their Argentine competitors are max
ing money at the lower figure.
| In view of the statement that there
is no profit for the Chicago packers
in the English trade it seems strange
that they should have made such a
fight to keep it in their hands. There
are two reasons for this: First, to
keep up the prices of beef in the
United States and, second, to keep
in touch with the English butchers
and sell them other goods out OF
which there was a good profit.