The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-12-01
MEAT SELLER
not IN TRUST
HIGHER PRICES DUE TO IN.
CREASED COST AT WHOLE
SALE, DEALERS SAY.


st. Paul, Dec. LIST Paul retail meat
dealers have taken serious exception
to the published statements of Prof.
J. Laurence Laughlin of the University
of Chicago to the effect that they and
not the so-called "meat trust" mean
ing thereby the packers, are RESPONSE
bic for the prevailing high prices OF
meat
Prof. Laughlin made the claim that
the wholesale price of meat is now Just
what 1t was two or three years ago.
and that che retailers have an under
standing among themselves by which
the high prices are maintained.
The dealers declare not only that
wholesale prices of meats are higher
now than they were two or three years
ago. but that talk of a combination
among them to keep up prices is fool
ishness, as such an understanding Is
impossible.
L. Eisenmenger OF 455 Wabasha
street, when asked about the situation
yesterday, said:
Such statements as those attributed
to the Chicago professor must come
from those who are not acquainted
with the situation. Prices are from at
least cent to cents a pound higher
now at wholesale than they were two
years ago.
Beef Prices Vary.
EFT is true there are times when the
prices Of certain grades OF beef vary.
For instance, there comes q run of
range cattle from the west and the
prices Of the cheaper grades of beef
will fall slightly for three or four
weeks, but 1T goes right back again.
This does not happen, however. with
the corn-fed or better grades of beef
There never was a time in the his
tory of the trade when the price OF live
hogs was as high at this season of the
year as 1t is now. They are worth
about So per 100 now. which is UNI
precedented at this season, because
there has always been a run of spring
hogs coming on the market. This year
they have not appeared and this gives
point again to the discussion of some
days ago as to whether the consunlp-
ton of food products has caught up
with the supply.
"On some grades of beef we main
tain a uniform price, which is not at
sale market. The extra fine cuts. such
as the best porterhoUse steaks, sell for
about the same all the time. Our price
for this sort of beef is 80 cents a
pound, and we keep 1t the same even
though the wholesale market advances
or declines a fraction, for the reason
that these choice cuts form such a
small portion of the whole beef that IL
is hard to figure out their proportion
ate rate of increase on slight market
changes which are based on the beef
as whole carcass. The cheaper sorts
of beef, however, rise and fall with the
changes in the wholesale market.
Wholesale Prices Control.
"You will always find, however that
the retail price is always in proportion
to the wholesale price and that the
prices TO consumers have not been adj
vanced except when advances in the
wholesale prices have made 1t abso-
lutely necessary.
Talk of a trust among the retailers
is foolishness. There Is too much com
petition. A dealer no sooner gets a
good customer than some other dealer
Is trying to get hold OF him. Talk
about combination is nonsense
Another thing Of which the public
is not aware is that while some deal
ers may sell beef at what seems n
cheaper figure than the market price.
they will find il they investigate thar
they have gotten cheaper grade az
meat. 1t takes an expert to 20 to i
packing house and pick the best beef.
You may go into the cooling room in
a large packing plant and see a string
of carcasses which look just alike. One
will be marked IL cents, another 3
cents and yet another 9 cents, and the
ordinary visitor will see 10 difference
in them, but there is difference and
a big one