The Detroit times., 1910-01-12
bLAMES RAIL ROADS
AND BEEF TRUST
Senator Bristow, of Kansas, Shows
How Cost OF Living Has Been
Sent Skyward.

WASHINGTON, u. C.. Jan. p
Senator Bristow of Kansas. who is one
OF the most aggressive OF the pro.
gressiye OF the progressive Republi-
cans or the senate, sheds new light
on the high cost of living.
Senator Bristow sa.s that Il Is the
combinations between the railroads
and the beef trusts which run the
prices of good juicy beef steaks up to
30 or 35 cents per pound and roll up
the immoral profits OF the Armour
beef combination 10 80 per cent dur
ing the last year on some $4,000 900
OF watered stock.
Take beet raised In western Kan.
sas.' said Bristow. 1T Is shipped from
the grass country To be fattened on
corn: then the cattle 20 TO Kansas
City for slaughter and the carcasses
come back to western Kansas dressed
for consumption. This makes four
trips by rail. two eastward and two
westward. All OF these railroad trips
60 into the cost OF the retail beef
II lived some years at Lawrence.
Kas.. before the beef trust had spied
out and conquered the land. when the
Armour people used TO send their
agents into Kansas to solicit business
In dressed meat and the local butcher
slaughtered his beef al home In COM
petition with Armour aud others.
Prices were kept down. But since
then the local butchers have been
squeezed out by the big meat COM
binat!ons, and now all our dressed
meat must come from the big meat
trust plants at Kansas City. Chicago
or Omaha. The railroads get a lot
OF transportation back and forward.
the combine stores meat TO meet the
time when there Is big demand. All
OF these services. as well as profts.
are added TO the cost OF the poor
mans meat.
THE tariff Is a great factor In. high
prices.
If the tariff on sugar had been
reduced. sugar would now be cheaper.
III the tariff on cotton had been
reduced. instead Of raised in spots. all
calicoes. cotton cloths and clothing
would now be cheaper.
If the tariff on wool had been low.
cred on all. instead OF raised on some
items. wooden goods and clothing
would now be cheaper.
If the tariff had been reduced on
lead and taken OF the ore. all. lead
paints and lead pipe used in building
homes would be cheaper.
If a tariff had not been continued
and raised on the products OF the bis.
cult trust their products would now
be cheaper, or at least the packages
would he larger and heavier.
This Is true OF all canned food pro-
ducts and household utensils on which
the tariff should be lowered or remov-
ed.
We need" said the senator. bet
ter regulations OF all kinds for COM
bination. whether state or national In
scope. Perhaps II will be necessary
10 cast an exploring eye into the
methods OF the big meat combines aud
their storage plant schemes whereby
they buy cheap eggs and other pro-
ducts in the summer time and hold
them for highest prices. perhaps for
years.
1t Is well known that there are now
price combinations In all branches oil
wholesale and retail trade whereby
prices are lined up and made the same
everywhere so as TO eliminate com
petition and prevent cut prices. Some
examination into these methods OF
lining ND prices among retailers will
no doubt yield facts worthy OF study.