The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-01

One OF the rankeSt cases of the oDpres-
sion of and attempted coercion of indie
pendent grocery and meat dealers in Salt
Lake came to light yesterday afternoon
when J. W. Wilson, who owns and oper-
ates a small grocery store and meat mar
ket at the corner of West North Temple
and Ninth West streets, declared he was
willing to go before a grand Jury or any
proper judicial official and tell his story
wilson says that eighteen months ago
when he opened his store he was asked
to join the Butchers < Grocers.a He re-
fused and was then Informed that if he
didn't that organization would close the
doors OF the wholesale and jobbing sup
ply houses of this city against him and
that he would only be able to buy and
sell candy.
Wilson took their bluff and opened I'D.
/ Agents of the Butchers & Grocers sat
up nights with me trying by threats and
everything else to make me join the as
sociation. I refused. Then they brought
the wholesale and jobbers' agents to me.
An accredited representative of one of the
biggest grocery houses in Salt Lake told
me that If l didn't join the Butchers &
GrOcerS association ne would so arrange
things that my goods would be taken
from my shelves and my store closed.
Il threatened to throw that man from
the store. will not give the name of his
house to the newspapers, but 1 will to a
grand jury.
Still Harrassing Him.
Finding that they couldn't threaten
me into their association. they began to
undersell me. Every grocery store in this
neighbOrhOod cut prices on me. / stuck
it through, however, and they quit it.
Now they have adopted a new game. 1
can go to the wholesalers and buy goods
all right, but I can't get them delivered.
For instance. / haven't had any bacon
this week. Today 1 had to go up town
and 1 got it all right If 1 go after the
goods I can generally get most of what
oil 1a--
back with the two or three important
things marked out of this 1t only
plaques me and causes me lot OF trou-
BILE and the wholesalers know it. i can
get anything 1 want from the Utah Pack
ing company, because 1t Is not in the COM
bine.
Time and again they threatened to put
me out of business. They shut off my
supply in various lines more than once,
but 1 have been able to stick each time
The agents of the Butchers & Grocers
are insolent and have no hesitancy in
telling you just what you must and must
not do.
81 am ready and willing to tell my
story to a grand jury, for I have had to
fight hard and 1 cannot see the end in
sight yet"
Wilson declared that his prices on meats
and groceries are from 10 to % per cent
cheaper than the prices quoted by gro
GERS and butchers who are members Of
the association. For instance" he said
today i am SelllIlS 10Th SledhS dt 10 GEMS
a pound for the best cuts. while the as
ISOLATION butchers are charging 1Il5 cents
for the same meat. Round steak l sell
for 10 cents a pound where the associa-
ton men sell the same steak for 10 cents
a pound. Chuck steak l sell for cents
a pound and the association men sell It
for 49, cents sell the best pork for
Is cents a pound, the others for 20 cents
The best sliced ham I sell for 20 cents
and the association men sell 1t for p L
make a fair profit on my meats, too.
Tnadesmen Are Mad.
Attorney General Breeder said yester-
dav that he would take steps to get VIII
sons affidavit. II am doing all l cam
but evidence is hard to secure In a DAY
or two" he said.
The wholesale and retail grocery and
meat men are probably as sore class OF
citizens today as can be found in a
months walk. They term everything
that has been written about them and
their business as malicious lies. Try to
argue with one of them and they viii
such a crop is short or why this, that
or the other thing should be expensive.
The fact remains, however that $50 in Salt
Lake goes only as far as SO will in any
CITY east of Salt Lake and particularly in
the middle west.
Worse and More of IL.
The butchers and grocers are planning
a biR meeting of local business men for
the night of September 8. when John A.
Green. secretary of the National Butchers
and Grocers' association, of which the 10
cal association is a branch, will be in
Salt Lake to discuss how TO successful
catalogue and mail order houses, the