Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-11
Time for Use Of Common Sense.

/
The protest of the housewives of
New York against high prices of
meat seems to have degenerated into
a suffragette rioting crusade. VIM
dows were smashed and parcels Of
meat taken away from purchasers. In
one instance when woman had been
robbed Of her juicy property, she
started a hair-pulling contest which
required police attention.
| Militant methods are to be deploreC
in this as in all things else Moral
suasion and the law should be the re-
lance of those who suffer wrongs at
the hands Of others. Nothing is gain
ed by defying the law or by setting
the example of ignoring the Jaw.
Intelligent men or women should
know that the small dealers are not
the ones primarily responsible for the
| high prices of meat. 1t is undoubted-
ers of certain localities enable them to
establish many trimming. dressing and
weighing practices that Systematically
rob the public after a fair profit has
been exacted, but it is nevertheless
true that the big packers are the ones
at the threats of the people, and that
they are piling up vast private for
tunes while the ones who buy of
them are daily growing poorer.
But aside from all this. if we can
not correct an evil without anarchy
| let us grin and bear it. IF our intel
leets are so puny that 90,000,000 neo-
| pie cannot correct few unserupu-
lous plunderers. we deserve our fate.
Violent tactics should be nfpped in the
bud and sternly suppressed.
We have right to refrain from
eating or buying meats as long as
ever we wish. And the longer we do
SO, the more we become convinced of
the idiocy of former dependence on
the butcher shop.
the hands of the packers on the cry of
the cheaper cuts" Uncle Sans bright
young publicity experts put out free
pamphlet of Instructions ON how to
cook and serve the cheaper cuts"
As soon as the thing was well adver
tised and beginning to work. there
became a startling scarcity of the
cheaper cuts" and an advance in
prices until neck pieces were crowd
ing tenderIoin for first place.
The meat consumers, who are near
to the retailers, should act together.
in common sense manner, ana in the
light of recent revelations as to sup
ply and cost of beef on the hoof If
the women cannot sound their protest
without window smashing and attack
ing of persons not In sympathy with
their boycott. they had better remain
in doors and amuse themselves with
fiy-swatting.
The most sensible suggestion comes
from Pittsburg. Pa, where, on Satur
day, mass meeting was held urging
the Retail Butchers Association to
start national movement among
butchers to compel the packers to re-
duce prices. If retailers, backed by a
strong public sentiment, would refuse
to handle or sell meats until prices
are reduced to reasonable figures, the
packers would soon be brought to the
mark
1t seems that a crisis has been
reached i'm the high cost of living. In
a moment this movement was pre-
cipitated by the discovery on the part
of the public that thousands of tons
of food fish are being destroyed every
week to maintain the price level of the
fish and meat markets. 1t was the
last straw, and a long abused people
are ripe for teaching those parties
who appear immune from the law
lesson.
The present temper of the people
gives still more urgent Importance
to the investigation. now under way,
into the methods of the beef trust