Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-30
MEAT FROM THE HOOF TO TABLE.
(From the Milwaukee wisconsin,


Market reports from the Southwest.
from the corn belt where corn and hogs
are generally plentiful, and where corn
fed steers are sought ny the wholesale
meat dealers throw interesting light on
the subject Of meat prices. In Kansas
City. on Tuesday, fat hogs, which are
for the time being quite scarce. brought
$40 a hundred pounds, the highest price
in q years. the previous record being
$3.50 a hundred pounds, which was paid
in 1882 when an epidemic Of hog cholera
was cutting down the supply of pork
Tho price paid on Tuesday was Just $40
a hundred higher than that Of the same
day in 1908, when similar hogs were sold
for s. hundred in Kansas City. But
Kansas City's record price was surpassed
on Thursday at st Joseph, Mo-. where
fat hogs sold at 3s.45 a hundred, the
highest price ever paid in ST. Joseph.
Corn fattened steers are ranging upward
with pork, and Kansas City reports a
new record price for this product. Two
carloads of steers were sold in the stock
yards there on Thursday at 5000 hun
dred pounds. the highest price ever paid
in Kansas City and dollar higher than
any steers have been SOLD In Chicago this
year. However there is pork and pork.
and beef and beef The stock sold in
Kansas City and ST. Joseph we're doubt
less prime animals whose flesh Will com
mand the patronage Of buyers who seek
quality and are willing to pay the price.
Hogs dress off about IS per cent and
therefore nearly one-quarter OF the price
on the foot must be added to the dressed
pork to arrive at the wholesale price
without regard for salvage through the
utilization OF the offal. In the case OF
the $S4b hogs the dressed pork would
cost the wholesaler about lola cents A
pound Adding the reasonable profit to
which all business men are entitled and
putting on top OF that the profits OF the
retailer, based upon the uncertainty OF
dismemberment into the common and So
lect cuts and the high price Of choice
hogs when sold on the block is clearly
explained. Beef dresses off nearly ~ per
cent because the animal is deprived Of
hide, head and feet while the hog is only
shaved. Adding this loss to the cost of
the dressed animal, and the price of the
flesh of the 5000 steers reached N4.70 y
hundred, or nearly "A "a cents pound,
as 1t hangs In the cooling-room awaiting
the coming of the retailer This price
must 60 through the process OF raising
Incident to allowance Of proft for both
the wholesaler and the retailer, and the
choicer cuts are thus carried away up be-
cause Of the necessity of offsetting the
low range Of the cheaper cuts in relation
to the wholesale prices.
II everybody did not want the best,
md II butchers could sell the meat of
scrawny animals on representation as to
its true character. there would be more
satisfaction for all concerned. The
trouble with some buyers is that they
want corn-fattened meat for the price
OF grass-f fed meat, and pork from corn
fed hogs for prices that are only for
poor stock II the butcher and the buyer
could get closer together on this range
from common to fine meat, there would
be less grumolng about the high prices.