The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-10
Cause of the High Price OF Meat
Is Discovered.
Heavy Decline in the Receipts
of Live Stock.
LOWEST SINCE 1904
1904
At the Seven Principal Markets
of the U. s.
Shipments of Packing House
Products Also Decline.

Washington, Feb. 10.-One contribut-
ing cause to the high price of meat, ac-
cordlng to report of the department
OF commerce and labor, issued today, is
the fact that live stock receipts for the
year 1909. at seven leading interior
markets of the United States were the
lowest since 1904.
The total live stock receipts for the
year 1909. in these markets aggregated
39,545,725 head. Particularly did the re-
ceipts of hogs for the last year fall off.
For each of the four years previous to
1909. the hog receipts had been in ex-
cess Of nineteen million head, totaling
more than 100000 in 1908, falling to
1S,S34,641 last year.
Cattle receipts in these markets for
1908, ,1S9. .S12-while comparing favor
ably with those of the previous year,
fell below the totals for the three years
before 1908. Sheep fell below those in
1905, to 1907, but compared favorably
with 1908.
Receipts of hogs at the Chicago mar
ket for 1909 show a decrease of 1927, ,074
as compared with the year before, Or a
decline of 10 per cent; receipts at Kan
saS City decreased IL per cent: receipts
at Omaha u per cent; at ST. Joseph 2S
per cent, while the decline at ST. Louis
was only per cent.
While the total number of cattle re-
ceipts at these seven principal markets
was larger than the year before the 1909
cattle receipts at Chicago, 2,929, ,805 heat.,
fell below the three million market for
the first time since 1902 constituting
less than 80 per cont of the total for the
| seven primary markets as contrasted
with sc per cent, the average proportion
for the preceding five years.
The annual shipments of packing
T10nSa nTO6nPfS from (NhiPS 3 1S1 f62 =
713 pounds. were below those reached
for any of the previous years, says the
report.
ALI the items in the grand total with
the exception of picked beef and pork,
show large declines as compared with
the figures for the previous years. The
largest losses since 1905, appear under
the head of canned meats, the loss
amounting to about 20 per cent, and OF
lard, the shipments of which declined
about 33 per cent since that year.
The report also shows that grain re-
ceipts at Is of the principal markets
during 1909. were 744, ,624,06S bushels
which was lower than any year since
1904.
After Cold Storage Houses.
New York, Feb. 10.-Spurred on oy
Judge Swayze's charge that a combina-
tion to store food stuffs for the purpose
Of advancing the price is an overt act
the Hudson county grand jury today
IT'S lllNCollSdllOAi VI Tic Dlea
sold storage warehouses of Jersey.
In view of the courts dictum that
any combination to raise prices is a
conspiracy. Prosecutor Garvin counts
on securing indictments that he be-
| lieves will check the system whereby
high prices are maintained in season
and out.
Agitation in New York city against
high meat prices has simmered down
until the only remedial measure now in
view locally is the cold storage regula-
ton ordinance before the board of aid
ermen. No action on this measure is
probable for a week at least. Meat
prices remain about stationary.