The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-03
PACKERS ACCUSED
IN COMING REPORT
Wholesale Price of All Meats
Shown to Have Increased
From IS to 100 Per Cent
During Last Decade.
BY International News Service.

NM ing An exhaustive investiga-
Wv ton Of the increased cost OF
living, the department OF
commerce and labor is about to lay
bare q series of most startling facts on
the subject ever placed before the
American public.
In this report il is shown that dur
ing the past ten years the wholesale
price of all meats has increased from
period that the beef trust established
its malevolent domination over the
meat food products of the entire Unit
ed States.
In the same period the wholesale
price for poultry has increased more
than SO Ia per cent, while eggs which
in 1890 sold wholesale at the renumera
tive price of II cents per dozen were
in December, 1911, sold at the arbitrary
price Of 80 cents per dozen. In 1896
Elgin butter sold for is cents per
pound. In December last year it
reached the unprecedented price Of 36
cents per pound.
Considered in connection with a bull
letin issued by the department of com
merce and labor only few days ago
presenting facts to show that not since
1907 have food animals been SO plenti-
full as now. the statement Of market
men that the record breaking high
prices arc caused by shortage Of cat
tie is not taken seriously.
Will Be Used in Suit.
The facts contained in Tuesdays re,
port will in large measure he used by
Attorney General Wickersbam as ba-
sis for his new action TO dissolve the
beef trust In making this invcstiga
ton, which covers period OF twenty
two years, agents of the department
visited practically every packing estab
lishment and every great source of 9th
er food supply in the United States. AS
the prices presented are those at which
food commodities are sold wholesale
the increased cost of living as present
cd cannot he laid TO the avarice or
greed of the retailer.
The most remarkable jump in prices
occurred in the pork market. In 1897
pork sold at $3.50 barrel, the low
water figure for the twenty-five years.
In 1910 pork rose to S2373 barrel.
the rise for the thirteen wears with sew
eral minor fluctuations being gradual.
In January, 1911, the price was quoted
at $22.47. 1t rose to $22.75 in Febru.
ary and then began a gradual decline
until it reached $17.56.
in 1890 western salt beef could be
had from the wholesaler at SIS per bar
to $50 per barrel.
Jump in Cheap Meats.
Short ribs, sides Of bacon, the cheap
est meat listed, cost least In 1885,,
when the price dropped to A. cents n
pound IIs maximum wholesale price
was in 1910, when the price went To
1913 cents pound Throughout 1o1l
the prjce hoyered between II cents and
81. cents. A gradual decline followed
during the last six months in 1911 and
continued until the Jump in price reg
istered during the present year
Mutton has been more consistent in
its rise and fall than any other class
OF meat. Its lowest price was reached
in 1894 at fraction over cents
pound. Ten cents was it's highest fig
urc in 1910 and during the last year it
has Guctuated between cents in Jan.
uary to 81 cents in Nav. Lard, hides
and tallow, three other beef trust prod
ucts, kept pace in high price with the
meats.
Hides reached their maximum whole'
sale cost in December, 1911, the. final
month of the report at 1917 cents per
pound, Their lpwest wholesale price
WAS - cents pound in 1891.
Lard Prices.
The Jump in the wholesale price OF
lard from, 1897, when it could be pur.
chased for 20 cents per pound was
little more than liza per cent in 1910
when the trust wns demanding l2l.
cents pound, After twenty-five years
tnllow reached its high water mark i'll
Continued on Page Two,)