The Detroit times., 1909-06-04
'bLAME WOMEN FOR
HIGH MEAT PRICES
Packers Say Housewives Run Around
So Much They Must Cook Beef
steak-Wouldn't II Jar Youi
BY w. @. SHEPARD.

CHlCAGO, Ill, June 3.-AbOut 81.
100000 people are asking each other
What makes beefsteak cost 80 much?
It's about 3 cents more n pound than
II ever was before
IL doesn't bring them any informa-
ton TO ASK themselves. IL they go
down to the corner meat market To
ask why beefsteak is higher than It
ever was before, the meat shop owner
only looks as worried as they do
The real meat men are here In Chi
cago. Louis j. Swift and J. Ogden
Armour are the chief meat men.
The answer got from Louis J.
Swift. president of the Swift Packing
Co.. Is the same answer that anyone
else would get. II he were TO go into
Swift's presence and ask him why
10 beefsteak cost SO much.
:, II was a fair little chat had with
Swift. even IL 1t did wind up with his
getting mad. Swift saw me at his
home. That was better than at the
Office, where he is hedged about with
secretaries and representatives and
general managers galore. AT the
Swift mansion | saw only lveried
flunkles, who bowed and scraped and
didn't get In the way.
I. A Japanese butler took my card
And, In magnifcently furnished
soon, sitting on n teakwood chair that
must have cost as much as a small
cottage. | came face to face with our
meat man.
He looked puzzled. First told him
had come to his home TO see him
because | could not see him at his
4. ONCE.
= He said that was all right; he want
ed TO know what wanted.
II was time for my question.
Would times for common people
be any better if the price OF meats
were lower"
All, ha, Just as I thought, The
butcher OF the ante-trust days would
A.. not have got mad. But the butcher
OF the trust days did
II can't be bothered with that ques-
tion." he said, loudly. You'll have To
see me at my ONCE
LET me explain" I said. I'm ask
Ing this question on behalf OF many
people
Il don't want any explanations ."
shouted the meat man. II hire man
to answer such questions"
Arthur White came TO my hotel 10
see ne the next day. He proved to
De tue HAeT IOT the SW'lt COHipdi.
"The old man told me you called
Yesterday" said White "He told me
ne was a little cross with you. and
ne said TO ne, White. YOU quit your
work and run down to the hotel and
aim And" White added. that's
something for the old man to do
That was quite a let-down. II you
Knew him as | do"
We'll. all | want to know is why
the price OF beefsteak is so high" !!
said
White pulled newspapers clippings
from his pockets TO show that the
farmers got most OF the money. He
offered to take me out to the slaughter
house and have a steer killed and
weighed for me piece by piece.
But | want TO know from Swift WHY
the price of beefsteak Is SO high ]!
insisted. HE says he doesn't want
to be bothered with that question"
We'll. he's worried" apologized
White IF YOU happen to be in Chi
cago about n month from now drop
into my Office and I'll try 10 get the
old man TO answer some questions for
you"
do you suppose he'll tell me why
the price of beefsteak is so high?'
asked.
Come on out into the buffet and
I'll buy drink said White, the
"fxer"
% When White got through stringing
me about the farmers profits" and
I was still unconvinced he took a new
tack. He blamed your wife and nv
mother for the high price Of beef
steak.
Listen to what he said:
ITS the fault OF American women
that beefsteak costs so much. They
buy beefsteak because it's the easiest
IN cook They run around so much
thew don't want 10 stay home long
enough t. cook the less choice pieces
Of meet
II found this ont from an institution
in Darien. Conn. where we are having
tests of n,eat-cooking made. AS the
packers were being blamed for the
high prices we had TO And out our
selves why beefsteak costs so much
and why the demand for 1t was so
great.
Our tests show that the packers
must fall back on the freless cooker
for relief With this cooker woman
can place one OF the less choice pieces
Cf meat to cooking and go away AMI
leave IT, She won't have to stav
home while II cooks"