Evening journal., 1910-01-21

cd because OF calte Doing coNotml'u
after being bought by the local wholesaler,
meaning loss to him, and which he must
make good on the good meat Mr.. Thomas
said there was no doubt that tho gov
ernment inspection had increased prices.
but he said the people are getting better
quality Of beef as a result OF the inspec-
tion than they ever got
Beef Up 81 Hundred Weight.
Reef is lower IN proportion than any
thing on the market" said MT Thomas.
"slnco last year the price has gone up
81 hundred pounds for beef yet we are
selling at practically the same prices as
last year We make up on the hide and
offal which have increased I'm price. Last
year we sold hrst-class steers for from
10 to 10 IL cents a pound and this year
the price is 10 1-2 cents. The best grade
of COWS brought cents last year and
this year the price Is i-2 cents.
II have been In the meat business IN
this city for forty years and 7 never saw
the time when IL was 80 hard to make
money in our business as IL was last year
and the year before"
Mr.. Thomas also places some Of the
blame Of the present high prices OF meats
to the women. He said many women buy
only the best pieces. those that are easy
to cook and entail the least trouble in
preparing In consequence tho forequarters
of cattle which contain just as good meat
and which make good stews and pot
roasts go begging and are sacrificed at
any price. These the poor class Of people
buy. 'If the public would learn to cat the
fore-quarters Of the beef the price Of tho
better pieces would drop, said Mr..
Thomas
Speaking Of hogs, Mr.. Thomas said that
pork had jumped to a high price and his
firm did not deal in that kind OF meat
because there was no money in II. Hogs,
he said. brought 800 hundred pounds
in Chicago last Monday which made the
carcass stand tho local dealer z IL cents
a pound.
Farmer Gets Some.
When Edward J. ComegyH. a butcher in
the Second street market for a number Of
years. was asked to give his reason for
the present high prices Of meats. said
that Il was hard question 10 answer.
THE packers, he said, "claim there is
a scarcity OF cattle and hogs and they
meet the charge that they arc curtailing
tho output with the statement that IL
would pay them better 10 keep their
plants working fun time than to curtail
the output
Mr. Comegys said Il has been charged
that the packers contract for live stock
and hold it. Somebody has got 20 feed
IT. he said. land this would add TO the
cost. particularly at this time when corn
is so high. In consequence, do not be-
lieve that the packers are holding back
and furthermore do not believe that the
packer Is getting all the money. In my
opinion the farmer OF the east and The
drover Of the West are getting the most
Of H."
Mr.. Comegys also referred 10 the Gov.
ernment inspections laws and thought
they had something 90 do with the in
crease In cost Of meats. AT least fivs ir
every one hundred head OF cattle ol
hogs" he said, "are condemned by the
expert government inspectors and throwr
into the tank"
\ Up, Away Up.
Beef prices" said Mr.. Comegys, ''ar'
about the same as last year but ther'
has been marked advance in the price
of pork. Last year pork chops were sols
for IS cents a pound while this year thel
bring 1s and % cents. according 20 tn
cuts Last year lard brought "A cents an'
this year It sells for 10 cents. Ham
brought "a cents a pound last year ant
this year they cost II cents: shoulders an
side pieces brought n cents pound las
year and this year there is an advance o
four cents pound"
An idea. OF what II oosts to i've at th
present time IS shown by the followin
prices which beef brings: Sir1oin stea.
% cents; rib roast. % centss chuck roas'
Il to 1s cents; rump steak. 20 to e cent
and round steak Is TO 20 cents.
Mr.. comesys said he did not kno'
where the situation would end but though
tha. something would have % be don
soon. He said the anti-meat eating crl
, sade started here would only hurt the r,
taller who had hard enough time 70 g,
along, as It was. without having the put
lilo boycott him for a condition he is n,
responsible for.
While everyone is finding fault wit
the price OF meat. the potato continue
to be a popular food stuff. It ha
been predicted last summer that tn
potato you'd be p scare article thi