The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-08-15
MEAT PRICES SkY-ROCKET
BECAUSE OF BEEF TRUSTS
"PULL" WITH GOVERNMENT
This is Very Latest Explanation
Furnished by Butchers in
Convention Here
WOULD REVISE THE TARIFF
Want Meat Bearing Animals on
Free List and Waste Lands
Used for Grazing

sky-rocket course because the beef
trust had TOO much influence In Wash
| ington and the government would not
accept the predictions made by the
Master Butchers OF America year after
year during the last decade is the gen.
eral tenor OF the report of the legis-
lation committee submitted, Wednes-
day, In the Butchers annual conven-
ton In the Hotel Pontchartrain.
The committee, OF which d. j. Haley,
OF Troy, n. Y, 10 chairman, reiterated
the contention made In previous con-
ventions that live animals destined to
be used for food should be on the free
| list, instead OF having 10 stand the
present prohibitive tariff OF two cents
a pound.
The point was also made by the
committee that the federal govern
ment should take steps TO encourage
the raising OF food animals, 40 as to
increase the domestic supply, which
| Is now estimated TO be less for the
feeding OF 90,000,000 OF people than 1t
was when the population OF the United
| States was only 100000. In the
/ Judgment OF the committee there are
great tracts OF arid land I'm the coun-
try that could be made available for
| stock raising with a little expenditure
| for irrigation, etc, IL the government
would take sufficient interest in the
| matter.
AS matter of fact Chairman Haley.
OF the committee, stated that instead
of encouraging the raising OF food cat
tie and aiding the butchers In their
campaign for better conditions, the
| periodical reports OF the agricultural
department had misrepresented the
situation. Two or three years ago. he
said, report was issued purporting
| TO show that profits In the retail meat
business averaged from 20 to 2S per
cent In New York. UP to 60 per cent
| in some southern cities, while at that
very time most OF the butchers In the
country were glad II their profits
reached paltry five or six per cent.
According to William Snyder, a
delegate from Brooklyn, hundreds of
butcher shops In the country's metrop-
oils are closed al the present time
while the owners are waiting to see II
fall prices will enable them to resume
their business in September or Oc-
tober
we should have had the big South
American exports of food animals that
are now diverted to Europe" said
Chairman Haley 1T would have been
an easy matter to have had them com
Ing this way II the advice and predic-
tons OF our association had been
needed. III the government acts. now
II Will be more difficult TO break into
this trade. but we would probably get
1t anyhow. The present tariff OF two
cents pound is prohibltive
Several bills have been introduced
In congress with this purpose In view
during the last nine years. and recent.
ly Mr.. SulZer. OF New York, introduced
one, and Mr.. Levy also OF New York.
another.
I'VE are determined that the re.
sponsibility for the high prices of
meat shall be put directly up to the
federal government where II belongs
Among other recommendations made
by the legislative. committee is the
urging of. the removal Of the 10 per
cent tax on colored oleomargarlne. An
other favors the enactment OF a law
prohibiting the killing OF very young
calves. In support OF this recon-
mendation II Is argued that thousands
OF calves, especially males. are killed
at birth and thrown away simply be-
cause the owners do not want to raise
them and prefer to send TO the market
the milk that the calf would need for
food
Adolph Marx, OF Detroit, was toast
master Tuesday evening, at the an.
nual banquet OF the Master Butchers
and the speakers included Mayor
Thompson and John T. Russell, of Chi
cago. Covers were laid for more
than 800
John T. Russell was unanimously re-
elected national president OF the Mas
ter Butchers association, Wednesday,
All the other old officers were also re-
elected, with the single exception that
A. Tenat, of Hartford Conn, was
elected outside guard TO succeed j. l..
Roche. Of Hartford, who did not come
as a delegate to the convention
Adolph Marx, OF Detroit Is one OF the
four vice-presidents; John n
Schoheld, OF St Louis, secretary:
Emil Priebe, of Milwaukee. financial
secretary, and o. Edward Jahrsdorfer,
Of Brooklyn, treasurer.