The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-09
That Is Why Neat Is High Says
Food Inspector.
The Packing Houses Are Not
Charging More.
INSPECTION OF CATTLE
Why He Insists on Its Being
Done.
Private Packers Make Little OBJ
lection to New Rule.

Grocery stores with meat shop an
nexes are blamed for the high price of
meat in Topeka by W. H. GilfHan
the city meat inspector.
The packing houses have never sold
more cheaply than they are selling to
the trade in Topeka today" said he. 81
know it for have been in the business
for a good many years now. I was resi-
dent salesman here for the Nelson Nor
ris Packing company and in addition
have been in the retail business myself
The meat which the butchers of Tope-
ka are buying from the packers today is
not a whit higher than it has been for
years. It's the retail meat dealers who
are charging the prices which you are
paying. But you mustn't blame them
for making a. higher charge. They have
been forced to it, in order to make a
living for themselves.
Its this way: There are too many
meat shops in Topeka for the amount
of trade; the few shops which formerly
supplied the wants of the whole Of To
peka made a good living and in addition
they sold on a close margin. They could
afford to; they had enough to sell and
enough purchasers for their stock to en-
able them to sell on a close margin.
But since the grocery stores in town
have been putting in meat market an
nexes the profits have been steadily cut
down. The amount Of trade is now
distributed over a greater number of
shops and it takes either a correspond
ing increase in the amount of the sales
or else in the price of the meats. There
has been no increase however in the
former and in consequence there has
come an increase in the charges.
There are but two or three markets
in the city which are really making
good money. the others are barely max
ing a living; they are doing that but
they are not getting rich at it. I know
of one man in the city who has been in
the business Cor a. good many years
There is not a better butcher in the
city. He is a close buyer. He has no
bad habits, but yet he is not making
any money in the business. He wants
to get into something else. It's all on
account of these meat shop annexes to
the grocery stores. I question very
strongly whether these grocery stores
are making anything out of their meat
departments either. ! believe that If
they would keep a careful watch on the
accounts of that one department they
would find that they were either not
making any money at it or else were
really losing.
saThe average butcher today buys
mighty close. He is afraid all the time
that he is going to overstock himself
that he will have some meat left on
his hands that he can't dispose of. It
worries him; it's enough for any man
to have that kind of worry. Cor it
means danger of business ruin.
do L believe that the private
slaughter houses tend to brin= down
the prices? No. I don't. They may
sell cheaplv to the meat markets but
that doesn't make any difference with
the butcher. He is going to charge
his price. [ have told the reason why.
He is forced to it. There IS no COM
bine of the local butchers. am as
= ,F M OF
increase in the price of meat to that
source. It simply comes about, as /
have remarked, by these grocery firms
going into the meat business. There is
! scarcely a grocery store OF any pfoml-
nence in the city but has its meat
/ department attached. It's a very sim
! pie sort of a proposition. suppose for
/ instance you took this book here and
you sold one in week and charged
! a dollar for it. Then again suppose
! YOU sold five books. You could afford
/ to sell the five books cheaper because
/ you are able to make more money by
/ selling a larger number
ssThese private slaughter houses are
mot Directing to the proposal of max
| ing an inspection of the cattle before
I they are killed. I have had not heard
/ one COMPLAINT vet against the express
/ ed intention of the city board of health
/ of drawing up an ordinance calling Tor
/ inspection before killing and providing
! for an inspection fee. They are all
/ glad to comply to such a regulation
I They say they are making money at
/ The business and have no objection
/ against any inspection which we may
care to INSTALL [ have even had some
4 of them near Valencia offer to pay my
carfare there and back to make the
/ inspection of cattle at that place.
Where these private parties slaugh-
/ ter there is considerable danger unless
/ the cattle are inspected before killing
/ They can slaughter f'diseased animals
1i1T
town. You inspect the meat but you
can't tell a thing from the meat. It
may have been diseased but the meat
won't show it. No, the only safe and
reliable way is to inspect before kill
ing