Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-24
AGITATION HITS
PRICE OF MEAT
Speculative Market Shows the
Principal Disturbance,
Pork Being OFF.
MOVEMENT is SPREADING
National Organization Will Be Made
Permanent-New York City
in the ThrOeS.

Chicago, Jan. 24-The widespread
agitation against the high price of meat
made itself felt here today when pork
declined 671a to 771a cents from Sat
urday's closing figures. Other prod
ucts also declined. but 10 a lesser ex-
tent January pork broke from $1,000,
the closing quotation Saturday, TO
/ S2O.121a within the first hour of trad
! ing May sold off from S2125 to $20.50
Provisions closed weak with January
pork at S20 or 80 cents lower than
/ Saturdays close. The market was
subjected to heavy selling.
New York In the Throes.
! New York. Jan. 24.-New York to-
| day is in the thick OF the fray for a
reduction OF the cost of living. A
grand jury investigation into the meat
question is pending. a prosecutors in
quiry into the cold storage situation
has been begun. meetings to protest
against the high prices of food pro-
ducts have been called. pledges of alb
stentiOn from meat are being nume--
ously signed, and an inquiry into the
alleged milk combine was begun by
the grand Jury.
The city thus gives ample evidences
of deep seated interest in helping
find the solution of the problem which
has aroused practically the entire couu-
try to action.
Form Permanent Organization.
Washington. Jan. 24.-Urging a ma
ton wide movement to lower the ex-
C,b;toD+ food r,ricoc opd dicoOuo+ipO o.
the spOrad ! and local meat boycotts,
the National Anti-Food Trust league
decided yesterday to form a perma-
nent organization for the protection
of consumers. 1t is planned to use
the power of this organization, not
only now but in the future, to COM
bat high prices.
The directors of the league decid-
ed to incorporate their organization,
and then issued an enunciation of
principles in which they compared
their motive for emancipation of the
consumer to the revolution of the
IS colonies.
League Platform.
The platform is as follows:
The National Anti-Food Trust
league stands for the American
principle of fair play. The league
is organized in behalf of the con-
sumner. as a bulwark against ex-
cessive prices of any staple food
article. AS long suffering as the
colonies before they threw off
the yoke of England. the Ameri-
can people of the present age
have endured almost intolerable
conditions for years.
when the consumer is denied
tie right to purchase in the
cheapest market; when the
laws of supply and demand are
abrogated in the interests of a
coterie of INSCRIPTIONS men;
when a days labor scarcely pro-
duces enough to obtain a days
subsistence, then it is time for
united protest and action.
The meat boycott is not the
work of the league, but it is a
result of our spreading the doc
tTine of back to normal prices
Sporadic Effort Needs Guidance.
These sporadic efforts to
throw off the shackles of food
slavery show the temper of the
people. They have been partly
successful, and need only a
guiding and directing hand to
result in complete victory. With
our rapidly recruiting strength
We soon will be prepared to
make a nation wide crusade
effective and permanent
against any artifcially priced
food product.
when backed by 100000
househoIders an interdict need
not be for a long time. After
the price is down to a normal
level, we have the same weapon,
should there be another attempt
TO raise it. The present boycotts
have no such permanency and
their effects will not be lasting.
The trusts will retaliate after
the wave of enthusiasm is spent,
unless they are combatted by the
national anti-food trust league.
League Seeks New Members.
The opportunity to join the
league is now open, not alone to
individuals but also to establish