Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-12-01
PUTS BURDEN ON POOR
SAMPLE OF THE WORKING OF
THE TARIFF TAX.
How the Beef Trust Is Enabled to
Keep Up the Extortlonate Prices
at Present Prevailing
for Meats.

Having noticed the speech of Col.
onel Roosevelt at Buffalo, in which he
states that the prices of food and the
articles necessary for common human
ity in order to live have been raised
by natural causes, and that the Demo
cratic party cannot under any circum-
stances, try as they may, reduce these
prices, we submit the following state
ments:
The most necessary article, perhaps,
of human diet in the temperate zone
Is meat. That the price of this neces-
sity of life is artiicially maintained
at a point calculated to exact the last
penny of the poor consumer is abso-
lutely proved by a number of facts.
In the first place, a comparison of
the prices for which American beef is
sold upon any given day in Smithfield
market, London, England, with those
for which the same meat is sold in
New York will show that the London
prices are the lower. The American
beef completes with the cheap, duty
free beef of South America, Australia
and South Africa in England. A most
extraordinary feature of this situation
Is shown by the fact that the Ameri-
can beef trust has invested upward of
$4,000 600 in Argentina for the pur-
pose of controlling that source of sup
ply, and 1t Is an actual fact that they
have through clever manipulation
greatly increased the price of Argen-
tine beef in Lozdon during the past
year.
On the broad prairies Of central and
southern Brazil, which lie practically
at our very doors, cattle are slaugh-
tered by the thousands for their hides
and horns.
For ten years stock men and ship
pers Of South American countries, of
Australia and South Africa have
moved heaven and earth through the
medium of their diplomatic represen-
tatives at Washington to obtain the
creation of such regulations as will en-
able them to place thousands of tons
If beef, pork and mutton upon the
plates of the American workingmen at
prices which will almost cut In halves
the prices now being charged by the
Chicago packers, and still pay the
duty asked under the existing tariff, If
certain other iniquitous features we're
removed.
Nothing is really asked from the
United States government but the
abolition Of the artificial barb-wire
fence which the packers through the
assistance of their senators and agents
at Washington have strung around the
ports of New York, Boston and Balti-
more.
1t Is not the cent and a half a pound
duty that keeps foreign beef out of
America, but the arbitrary powers to
condemn or to delay landing indef-
nitely of the inspectors, secret agents
and detectives which the tariff makes
possible, which works the Injustice in
the end felt most keenly by the poor
Of America.
Beef Is a %perishable article. Each
day that 1t is delayed aboard a ship
not only adds to its cost but decreases
its food value. Presume that one con-
tent with a profit of one per cent. per
pound upon beef sends a shipload to
the port of New York. Advance infor-
nation precedes the shipment by ca
BILE, and when the cargo arrives, I'M
der existing conditions, the chances,
are more than even that upon techni-
~calities the cargo will be SO delayed
that the beef would either be valueless
or that the margin Of profit would be
entirely wiped out.