The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-01-30
Meat War
Is Now On
TRUST FIGHTS INDEPENDENT MARKET
Stanton Advises Boutwell, & Kirk TO Go Out of
Business or Go Broke

The meat war is en- here IN st
Maries as we'll as In Occur d'Alene.
The Stanton company has served no
tice on Boutwell, aud Kirk, one Of
the independent markets that they
must close their shop or he would
break them.
Mr. Boutwell, was at Spokane to see
Mr.. Stanton to try and get him 10
lower the wholesale price Of meats
proporticnately to his cut In the re-
tail price. He could get no coucess-
IONS. On the contrary, according to
Mr. Boutwell,, Mr. Stanton told him
that the only thing for him to do was
60 close his shop and go out of bus
Iness adding the threat that If he did
not do so he, Stanton, would break
him aud force him to go out OF bus
inesH.
The first gun In the campaign was
fred by Mr.. Stanton by cutting the
prices of loin steaks to the hotels
aud restaurants to less than the
prloe which he was demanding at
wholesale from the independent mar
kets
At first Btthwell and Kirk we're un
decided as to whether they would
CLOSE up their shop or would oontin-
ne business In spite of Stantons
threat to break them but finally
decided TO keep on running their
slop, meeting Stantons prices so far
as possible, and trusting to their old
customers to stand by them.
They realize, that Stanton. CON
trolling the wholesale market as he
does aud with his muuey, has all the
advantage but after talking with a
number of their patrons. they believe
that the majority will stay with
them.
They have made arrangements to
buy their meats of the Inland pack
lug company and will also purchase
all that they can from the surround
Ing country and In this way hope to
he entirely Independent Mr., Stan
ton has evinced his determination to
dominate the entire meat business
lie is not Satisfied with dominating
and controlling the wholesale bus
iuess of this section but Is determin
ed TO have all of the retail business
OF this section as we'll.
He practically secured all of th'
retail business in Occur d'Alene by
the same methods be is startling her'
lie started to fighting the independ
ent markets, buying out their leases
when they we're forced to close unit
he is now paying, It Is said, five Oh
SIX hundred dollars per month reD
on empty buildings which we're for
merly useS - Independent meat mar
kets. ~ n
HgnGkly secured practically thu
entire business there aSd at once
boosted the prices out of sight, max
ing the people not only pay the extT
SIX hundred dollars a mUnth rent tn
~hat he lost while the war continued
on top of his ordinary profits.
This continued until a short tim
ago when anolher independent omar
ket vas opened there. Stanton EN-
ployed his usual tactics and com
menoed to cut prices from twenty
fise to thirty pr cent In his endeavc
to drive the indepen1 lent market oul
Although the independent mark'
was not able to meet the StHnto
prices the people OF Occur d'Aleu
have stood by 1t and 1t Is still doiu
good business.
Star ton has dictated not only Il
price but everything else IN the met
business here. he sent out ordel
to the independent shop that d
meat should be delivered except
the restaurants.
A certain boarding house In II
city was buying a good deal of mea
A short time ago. the independel
market delivered an order tber
Stanton learned OF II aud at once O
dered them to stop delivery there 81
they we're obliged to do it.
II Stanton succeeds In forcing G
independent market out, the peou
here will ses meat jump TO the o
prices at once. aud enough higher
- make up what be loses during q
fight. that is II be follows the sal
tactlos he has 10 other places.
II they are foolish enough to.
him drive out the independent 10
kets It will serve them right II
boosts the price.