New-York tribune., 1910-01-24
THE MEAT BOYCOTT.

All signs point TO q rapid spread Of
the meat boycott. The public unques-
tionably feels that 1t has a just griev-
ance against the conditions which have
made necessaries of life so dear, and it
will welcome an opportunity to show
that its patience is exhausted. even if
the demonstration may be SO misdi-
rected as to miss the persons and forces
really responsible for the excessive rise
In prices and to victimize the relatively
innocent, like retail dealers, who are
only acting as the agents of the powers
who regulate" the market.
When the American public gets the
idea that it is being unfairly dealt with
its normal impulse is to do something
TO manifest its dissatisfaction, and to
do it on a generous scale. We cannot
think, therefore, that 'The Springfield
Republican" measures the present sttua-
ton accurately when it says:
There ought to be individuality enough
left in the average American citizen to
deal with this matter-so far as il is to
be dealt with outside of government ac-
tion-on a family and individual basis.
Let each one strive 10 adjust his ex-
will prove quite as effective against any
trust overcharging that may be going on
as organizing clubs and passing around
pledges not to eat this and not to wear
that. A queer light is thrown upon lat
ter-day American character when men
must have the moral support of associa-
tion with lot of others in order to OBJ
tain strength enough to practise the
ecopomies which their incomes demand.
That point of view is belated. Social,
political and economical movements of
every kind are more effective when un-
dertaken in the mass, and concert ex-
cites q moral energy and enthusiasm
and encourages a perseverance which
bring results impossible to be achieved
through dispersed and isolated efforts.
Many persons who would otherwise be
Indifferent or neutral are drawn into
crusades for the betterment Of general
conditions by the genial infection of fell
lowship. We look, therefore, for an ag
gressive popular campaign against high
prices for food products, conducted in
an impulsive rather than discriminat-
ing way, but expressing the determine
tion of the consumer to test in a rough
and-ready manner the contention that
present high prices are the result Of set
tied economic laws and not of artificial
devices by which middlemen have de
stroyed a free market.
The obvious complaint Of the public
is that 1t has not benefited in the least
by the great economies effected in the
production, transportation and sale Of
food products. On the contrary, 1t seems
that progress along all these lines has
been economically perverted into fac
tor compelling an increase in. cost. For
instance, the device Of refrigerat ton
should have operated to reduce the cost
of meats greatly, because it - greatly
prolongs their period Of STABILITY. For
merly a piece of meat was a perishable
commodity and had to be disposed of
quickly. Now it can be held indefinitely
for disposal Greater stability of value
should have forced prices down if only
normal profits were TO be made. 1t had
that effect at first, but soon the re-
frigerator began to be used by the mid
dleman as an artificial regulator of mar
ket conditions. 1t made him Independent
of the producer, whose cattle he could
buy when. where and at whatever price
he elected, and it also gave him a club
to hold over the head of the consumer
because he could say: ''If you don't want
Ito pay my price to-day. can keep my
meat until you are willing TO pay it,"
The great enlargement of facilities for
killing, storing, transporting and selling
beef has been misused by the middle
man on the one hand TO reduce the cat
tie grower to subjection and to diminish
production, and on the other hand TO
maintain artificial market rates TO the
consumer, based on the restriction and
non-perishable quality of the visible
supply.
The public is convinced that the pres
ent monopolistic control of the sale Of
food products Is unnecessary and IN
justifiable. 1t does not know exactly
how TO go about restoring a free market
But the meat strike is a significant in
dication that ii is ready TO resort to eco
nomically heroic if more or less fantas-
tic methods. Incidentally, and unfOrtu-
nately, its zeal may lead it to injure
many persons whom ii is not really in
terested in calling to account.