Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-09
Outside Point of View

Some statements concerning "the
meat boycott need verifying before
conclusion logical or otherwise. can be
reached. For instance, we are told that
packing house products OF this country
are retailed cheaper in Canada than in
the United States. This is misleading
for it is true that in Iowa. these same
products are sold cheaper in the small
towns than in the large towns. But If
it is true that beef fro mthe- packing
house in Chicago is sold cheaper in
Toronto than in Detroit, cheaper in
Quebec than Boston, we want to know
it and the reason why. A statement is
also going the rounds that the con-
sumner can buy all American packing
house products cheaper in London than
in New York. This we are all inter-
ested in. We may have to stand the
sale of manufactured products, such as
sewing machines, farm machinery. all
structural iron, steel rails. shelf and
heavy hardware, cheaper abroad than
at home, but when 1t comes 10 food
supplies the public will draw the line.
Dumping the surplus on to the foreign
market" has one good argument in its
favor ie. Keeping our men employed
the year around but when it comes
to -four and meat the public will not
accept this as good logic.
1t has been shown on this page that
the retail prices for meat in the smaller
towns around Marshalltown are from
% to 40 per cent cheaper than here at
home. There's a reason for it and
good one. The butcher in these small
towns buys good cows at $3.50 to "a
per hundred pounds. He has the hide,
tallow, and offal which pays the ex-
pense of outchering. He also saves
the expense of delivering, has less rent
to pay. pays less to MS employees. and
lives at less for family expenses. People
Twin gin towns of 5000 Inhabitants and
having it delivered promptly at any
time of day. The same is true on all
prices of the food we eat. We pay for
pure meat, fire protection, police and
street lighting in the way of higher
taxes. We pay directly for our food
in higher prices, because of the benefits
of telephone and delivery, and put it
down for a fact, the consumer always
pays directly or indirectly for what he
has and the expenses necessary to do
the business as it is carried on in the
larger towns.
But another matter is attracting
much attention these days. Not long
ago. at Elgin, ILL.,, the butter manu-
facturers decided to drop the price of
butter s cents a pound. And consum-
ers in all of the larger towns in Iowa
and probably elsewhere were pleased
that on the same day the retail price
of butter dropped exactly cents per
\ A1cl hot of no mr.
the price paid to farmers for cream
was also dropped TO agree with the
lowered price of butter. And said pub
lie. pleased as it was. also began reas-
oning this way. If the butter manu-
facturers could and did uniformly
lower the price Of butter in one day,
they also could raise. it six cents a
pound in one day. In other words
there must be an understanding OF
some kind of an agreement or combine
that enabled them to arbitrarily raise
or lower the price of butter.
That being the case, what becomes
| Of the theory that the manufacturers
| Of oleomargarine must not color their
product because it would lower the
sale of the farmers cream and butter.
That colored oleo in competition with
! the farmers butter will reduce the In
come Of the Iowa farmer. This in
curing public asks by forcing the sale
Of uncolored butterine at low prices,
are we protecting the manufacturers OF
butter or protecting the farmers. II
there is an understanding all over the
country what price the manufactur-
ers of butter shall pay the farmers Tor
cream, it looks to a man up tree as
tho the farmers need protection fully
] as much from the manufacturers OF
butter as from the manufacturers OF
oleomargarine. Add to this that the
Iowa farmer sells to the oleo manufac-
| tstirer the necessary Fs<sS O steer -
cow alike, so that cufofed oleo was
lmore generally used there would be