Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-19
BOYCOTT OF MEAT
Reasons Ohioans Give for Alb
staining from the Use
for 80 Days.
PROTEST FOR HIGH PRICES
Employees of Fl Cleveland Factories
Pledge Themselves to Become
Vegetarians.

Four hundred and sixty supertn-
tendents and foremen of twenty-one
OF the largest manufacturing con-
Germs of Cleveland. o., recently pledg-
ed themselves TO aid in general boy
colt on meat for thirty days. In add
ton to agreeing to do without meat
themselves. the superintendent and
foremen have promised TO induce as
many as possible Of the 1000 employ
ees under them to dispense with the
food for the same period II the en-
ployees enter into the pact approx
mately 10000 Clevelanders viii abstain
from meat for a month.
The pledge went into effect on Jan.
II. The anu-meat action was taken
at a meeting OF the Superintendent
and Foremen's club, in which prac-
ticaIly every manufacturing plant OF
Cleveland is represented. The idea of
living the vegetarian life for a period
originated in the minds of q few men,
bers of the club while discussing high
priced food at dinner the other day.
Meat being the most expensive por-
ton served at dinner, the club men,
bers decided not to eat meat that meal
and see how they felt when the DAYS
work was over. Each of the abstain
ers was no more fatigued than usual
when night came, and It was then de-
cided to form a thirty day vegetarian
club among wordngmen. The pledge
follows:
Tho Pledge.
F1rst-we as wags earners are willing
to assist both the state and the munich
palities in probing into the high cost of
living, particularly the cost of meats
which is prohibitive.
Second.-This agitation can best become
effective by refraining from eating meat
for a period of thirty days
Third.-n this does not bring the price
OF meat within the means of poor people,
then we will refrain from eating meat for
sixty days.
Fourth.-we. citizens, do hereby ask
our representative In each councilmanic
district and the legislative bodies to keep
this agitation uppermost in their minds
and actions until the result manifests it
self.
Fifth.-we ask the cooperation of all
persons who are interested in fair play
and the future of our otherwise prosper
GUS country.
Sixth.-This self denial to take efrect
Jan. II and continue henceforth.
The signers Of the pledge point out |
that, while most Americans eat meat |
at least once a day and often three |
times day, poor people of other coun-
tries consider meat luxury, while the /
well to do are content to eat meat once |
a day at the most.
Eat Too Much Meat.
Information from medical authori- |
ties tends TO prove that the American /
workman eats too much meat" said +. |
W. Sebelin, a member of the Superin- |
tendents and FOremen's club. Fur
thermore, the meat packers themselves .
say the price of meat is caused by the /
gluttOnOus eating of meat and if the
demand were less the price would drop.
by refraining from eating meat for
a month or sixty days the factory en-
ployees of America would so lessen
the demand that the truth Of the pack
ers' statements could be tested. BY
living for n period without meat the
workman VIII also prove to himself
that meat three times a day is a lux /
ury."
In addition to this anti-meat strike,
every citizen of Ohio is urged to boy
colt meat from Feb. 1 to March 81.
Easter Sunday. in an appeal sent out
by Mr.. Williams. chairman of the leg
Islative committee recently named to
investigate the high cost of living in
Ohio. That this appeal will be heard
and acted upon seems certain. 1t is
believed that within few weeks more
than a million people in Ohio will have
Joined the vegetarian class.
Chairman Williams in his appeal
says such action will soon prove the
truth or falsity of the claim that the
aw of supply and demand alone rules
prices Meat dealers admit that if
the boycott grows it will send meat
prices downward pretty quickly