The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-03
BLAME WOMEN FOR
HIGH MEAT PRICES
Packers Say Housewives Run Around
So Much They Must Cook Beef
steak-Wouldn't It Jar Youi
BY w. q. SHEPARD.


100000 people are asking each other
What makes beefsteak cost so much?
It's about 3 cents more a pound than
1t ever was before
| II doesn't bring them any informa-
tion to ask themselves. II they go
down to the corner meat market to
ask why beefsteak is higher than it
ever was before, the mea, 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 l 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
Swifts presence and ask him why
beefsteak cost SO much.
1t 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 l saw only liveried
funkies, who bowed and scraped and
didn't get In the way.
! A Japanese butler took my card.
And. In magnifcently furnished
room, sitting on teakwood chair that
must have cost as much as small
cottage. I 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
office.
He said that was all right; he want
ed to know what ! wanted.
1t was time for my question.
! Would times for common people
be any better IL the price Of meats
were lower?"
| All, ha. Just as l thoughts The
butcher of the ante-trust days would
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 Office"
Let me explain" | said. I'm ask
| ing this question on behalf of many
people"
II don't want any explanations
shouted the meat man. II hire man
to answer such questions. "-------
Arthur White came to my hotel 10
see me the next day. He proved to
be the "fixer" for the Swift company.
"The old man told me you called
yesterday" said White. HE told me
he was a little cross with you, and
he said to me, White, you quit your
work and run down to the hotel and
see that Shepherd. Fix IL up with
him. And" White added, that's
something for the old man to do.
That was quite let-down. II you
knew him as l 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" l
insisted. HE says he doesn't want
to be bothered with that question"
well. he's worried" apologized
White. "Tf you happen to be in Chi
cago about month from now drop
into my office and I'll try to 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 a drink" said White. the
'fixer."
When White got through stringing
me about the farmers profits" and
I was still unconvinced he took new
tack. He blamed your wife and my
mother for the high price OF beef
steak.
Listen to what he said:
TITS the fault OF American women
that beefsteak costs so much. They
buy beefsteak because it's the easiest
To cook They run around so much
thew don't want to stay home long
enough TO cook the less choice pieces
Of meet
81 found this out from an institution
in Darien, Conn. where we are having
tests OF n,eat-cooking made. AS the
hackers were being blamed for the
high prices we had to find out our
selves why beefsteak costs 80 much
and why the demand for IL was so
great.
Our tests show that the packers
must fall back on the fireless cooker
for relief With this cooker woman
can Mace one OF the less choice pieces
NJ meat to cooking and go away and
leave It. She won't have to stay
borna while IL cooks"