The Virginia enterprise., 1914-10-16
ANCIENT HISTORY
IS REHEARSED BY
MEAT INSPECTOR
Flag Was First Emblem of Vir-
ginia Retail Meat Dealers in
Combination.
BARNEY SCHNEIDER
is A DISAPPOINTMENT
Former Chronic Kicker on Local
Conditions Knows Nothing
of Meat Combine.

of Meat Combine.
Sensation followed sensation at last
nights inquiry into charges that
combination of retail meat dealers ex-
lists in Virginia to arbitrarily fix
prices, conducted by the city council as
a committee Of the whole. City Attor
ney Montague unhesitatingly declared
at it's close that witnesses summoned
to give testimony had been "fxed"
by local butchers. His charge was
specifically directed to Barney Sch
neider of Hibbing, former Virginia
butcher, Nick Fujanic, former pro-
prietor of the Iron Range Meat Mar
ket in this city, R. Vukelich, his busi
ness partner and Victor Rebrovitz,
meat cutter employed at an Aurora
butcher shop, who gave testimony be-
fore last nights investigation. It was
substantiated by Fred Engel, meat in
spector, in the case of Schneider, who
during the course of his examination
as a witness declared from his past
experience he was confident Schneider
had been fixed. The hearing was ad-
journed to be resumed on Thursday
evening of next week at the city hall.
Engel Gives Ancient History.
Easily the most sensational witness
of the evening was Meat Inspect
or Engel, former Virginia butcher:
who declared he had been put
out of business by the local
meat combine. Engel declared
that combinations Of local meat
dealers had existed in Virginia ever
since 1894 when the Lake Superior
Retail Butchers association was or
ganized. He said he had been himself
a charter member Of it, that it's en-
blem was a United States flag which
was given to each Of the members and
that he still retained his as souvenir.
The first officers were A. Pickett, Sec
retary; Joseph Karl, treasurer, and
Patrick Coffey, president. The charter
membership fee was $40 and after the
charter was closed the admission tax
was raised to $125.
"Karl still has the funds of the or
ganization,' said Engel, "and it
amounted to quite a little money,
too." 81 .@|F F
The object of the association was tc
prevent price cutting and control
prices. 1t finally failed Engel said
because there were too many crooked
butchers. They would go away from
a meeting and stop in the business
places Of large consumers and tell
them confidently that the old price
levels would prevail, while they would
be charged with the official schedule
on the books and given rebates at the
end of the month"
The membership Of the Lake Su-
perior Retail Butchers association ex-
tended to Eveleth, Mountain Iron,
Buhl, Biwabik and Mckinley. "There
was one butcher in Aurora who did
not belong" said Karl, "but he was too
far away to bother US much"
Packers Controlled.
No meat dealer in the territory sup
posed to be covered by the association
could buy from the packers unless he
belonged to it. Engel declared that
when he had become convinced that
the individuals we're not living up to
their agreement he broke away from
the organization and was notified by
the packing concerns agents at nu-
luth that they would not sell him
meat unless he adjusted his differ
ences with the association. He speciti-
cally named Elliott & Co. and Swift
& Co. as packing concerns who had re-
fused to sell to him while he was in
dependent of the association and said
he had been compelled to pay fine Of
SO to become reinstated. The Lake
Superior Retail Butchers association
ceased to be effective in 1904, accord
ing to Engel, and was followed by
another organization fathered by
Colin Munroe of Chisholm and Joseph
Karl of Virginia. To retail dealers
it was represented that they would
pool their interests and thereby they
could buy meat from 1 to 1-2 cents
cheaper than the prices then paid
The profits were to be shared proper
tionately by all the members. kar
sent his bookkeeper to the shops o.
Engel and another dealer named Sci
bert to look after their accounts, Enge
said, thereby acquired knowledge o:
their business, in a weeks time wa
selling to their best customers an<
then the association broke up. He de
clared that copies of the agreemen
existing between the individual mem
hers and the association were missinl