The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-25
MAYOR WANTS TORUN
MUNICIPAL ADATTO|R
Socialist Executive Asks Milwau-
kee to Kill and Sell Meat at
Lower Prices.
TO CONVINCE LEGISLATURE
Emil Seilel Will Make Fight for
Authority to Try His Latest
Altruistic Scheme.
TO CONVINCE LEGISLATURE
BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.

BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Dec. 24.---''W We
can run slaughter house and mako it
pay without destroying business, as the
scoifers cry. The biggest single item
In the homo is the meat bill, and the
packers are all millionaires.
This is the way Emil Seidel, Socialist
mayor of Milwaukee, defends the ac-
ton of his city council in urging the
legislature to give the municipality the
power TO start a municipal slaughter
house, cold storage plant and other
business enterprises. he further said:
''The government of the city is a
business proposition, and all the people
are stockholders.
"Public officials are employed to run
the enterprise,
''If city can furnish its stockhold-
ers with cheap commodities that lower
the cost of living, then it is the duty
of its servant to see that measures are
adopted which will bring about this
much-desired result.
'"rhe greatest problem confronting
the American people today is the cost
OF living. 1t is the duty of every of
fetal to study this problem long and
carefully. l think that the biggest sin
gle item in the cost of maintaining the
home is the meat bill. There as hard
~ q packer of any consequence in this
country who is not a millionaire, You
newspaper fellows call them "beef bar
ons,' and what you call them is really
true.
Packers Real Barons.
'sNo set of men ever exercised the
power that these men do. They reach
into the pockets of every man, woman
and child in the world. They started
out poor, without single exception.
~ have studied this subject and have
opinions of experts to guide me-.
would like to establish a municipal
slaughter house and believe we COULD
furnish the city cheaper meat and then
we could make profit over the running
expenses of the enterprise.
"We can employ Just as good buyers
as the packers
HMy idea is to send these men either
TO the ranges or 10 the live stock mar
ket and have them buy cattle, sheep
and hogs. These would be shipped to
our municipality owned yards, killed IN
our municipal slaughter house and the
carcasses placed in our municipal cold
storage plants The meat could then
| be sold to the people either direct or
| through authorized dealers:
"Some will say my idea is to destroy
the packing industry. j say no.
would do nothing to destroy any bust
ness. The packers could keep on sell
| ing meat to those who wanted il. In
fact, ] believe that we would still need
them in the field. Ny plan, however,
would show the people almost exactly
what it costs TO place meat on the table
and the packers would have to meet
our prices.
Will Fight for It.
"Just good natured competition
that's what the whole plan would be.
No business destroyed, but few more
mouths fed, a few more strong boys
and girls put into the world.
"Scoffers and those opposed to my
plan Will say a city cannot run this
kind OF business. Today the beef pack
ers in one of their plants employ. more
men than are on the pay rolls OF New
York City. -,
|'ln the last analysis city is moth
ing more than a big enterprise, why
can't city employ Just as good mel
as a private enterprise? ] know 1T can
can that is necessary. IS to cut ou'
politics and the domination OF a boss
Surrounded by several men whc
know their business, l would not hesl
tate tomorrow to start munlclpa
SLAUGHTER house, and | promise to give
the people cheaper meat and also make
q profit for the city. / intend to vlsll
tbe next session of the legislature anc
figbt for this. There is nothsng uncon
stitutional in the measure, but the stac'
legislature has so tied the hands o.
Milwaukee, that il cannot be tried with