Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-24
TO INVESTIGATE
ALLEGED TRUST
Real Estate Association Has
Doubts About Butchers
And GrooerS.
HISTORY OF MEAT PRICES,
II is Declared They Are Maintained
Here Through Boycotts and
Threats.

Because the public regard for the
Manufacturers and Merchants asso-
citation Is of very different character
from the view II takes towards the
Butchers and Grocers' association. the
recent partial consolidation Of these
two bodies is causing adverse COM
ment.
The cause of this is partly that the
price OF meat has been maintained
at so high a figure here for many
years---in fact ever since a famine
shot the price upward. about Ia years
ago-and seasons of cheap beef have
been since then the same to the con-
sumner as seasons of expensive beef,
the local market price being kept up,
II is alleged by threats and boycotting
methods on shops which have dared
to advertise prices below the trust
price. More than that the price for
the old COW killed in local shop
costing the shop from to cents per
pound, has been the same as for corn
fattened Chicago loins shipped back
here after the beef had been sent
east on the hoof. costing the local
shop from IL to i6 cents per pound,
the retail price of the Chicago corn
fattened loins having been fixed as
the standard. according to the general
belief.
INQUIRY PROPOSED.
The antagonism TO seeing the ASSOC
citation which is reputed to be organ
ICED TO work for q greater Utah, in
alliance with one regarded differently
is taking definite form in q proposed
inquiry into the Butchers s. Grocers
association by the Real Estate associ-
MI v.f,f oh xx.ii hA -
admit the representative of the Butch
ers & Grocers' association into the
same house with 1t In the chamber Of
commerce.
1t is alleged by members Of this as
ISOLATION that butchers and srocers
who attend meetings of that organt-
cation subscribe TO the following
oath:
".......,.... agree upon my word
of honor not to divulge any Of the
business transacted at any meeting Of
the association"
II is further declared that there is
a committee on prices in existence, a
rating department which publishes
names. apparently IN response to ar
ticle 3, section Z, Of the bylaws, as
follows:
Article 3. section T--It shall be the
duty of each member to furnish the
secretary. for the benefit of the mem~
bers of this association, the names of
every person, Arm or corporation on
their books who are unworthy OF credit
or are slow and careless In meeting
their accounts when due, TO enable him
to compile a complete list of said names
for the use and protection OF each
member OF the association.
1T shall be the further duty of each
member not to extend credit to any
person. firm or corporation who has
been reported as unworthy by any
member ........ and upon satisfactory
proof of the violation of this agree
ment as to extending credit to such de-
linauent by any of said members of this
association, except in cases of distress.
appealing to humanity, the member
ship OF said person, Arm or corporation
so violating shall be declared forfeited
by a majority vote of the members
present at the meeting when said Wo-
latlon shall be considered"
The Real Estate association proposes
to meet the board of directors Of the
Manufacturers and Merchants associa-
ton. and canvass the Butchers and
Grocers with view of ascertaining
whether the combination will prove
successful.