The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-29
Conditions in Brattleboro.

Ill
When asked for statement OF
prices now as compared with those in
war times Lucius H. Richardson, who
started in the meat business when a
Young man with his father, the late
William f. Richardson, said in sub
stance:
VIC started in business here u
years ago. and / never saw beef any
higher than it is now. When we began
business we bought COW beef at from
81 to So q hundred on the hoof. Now
we pay $40 q hundred when we can get
it, which is about as high as il ever
has been, We got pinched once, having
only side of beef in the market, anu
then we paid Sl3 hundred for COW,
but that was in an emergency. Only a
few days ago we paid Sl3 4 hundred.
live weight, for n yoke of oxen. With
porterheuse steak selling at 10 cents Il
pound some people think there must be
| lot of money in the meat business,
| but the fact is that the profit on beef
never was 50 small as it is today. 1t
| the meatmen didn t have anything but
| beef to handle they would have to 60
| out of business.
"The beef trust is not responsible
| for the hihh prices They are due to
the fact that there are but few cattle
| to he had. Formerly the farmers near
at home raised beef for the market.
| Now most of them are in the dairy
| business aud sell off their calves Ia
| order to have more milk. Their stock
is largely of the dairy breeds and IS
never worth much for beef. If the
farmers would raise cattle for beef it
would be for their best interests, but
some of them feel that they can t af-
ford to keep the calves two or three
years before getting any return fot
them.
~ don t see any prospect of beef
being any lower, and it is astonishing
how the trade keeps up. / thought the
high prices would result in people buy
ing less meat, but they eat about as
much of it as ever. \ man will pay
$50 for small bundle without saving
u word, whereas formerly when beef
cost less than half as much he woult
kick about the price.
G. O. Abbott, who says he has beer
engaged in the meat business so years
declares that beef critters such as they
are, have hit the top notch on the price
scale since he knew anything about it
He is not in love with what the whole
salers claim to be beef either. He hat
| some Argentine beef recently. Wha
WASH t fat was tough and the price
| compared favorabIv with that of th
/ nearly extinct western product.
The Foreign Product.
., This Argentine beef a few month
, ago was to solve the meat question 0
the United States until long after al
Europe had emigrated here. That s al
! changed now. The problem is just a
6 big as it was before this alleged beet
!. grown on the under side of the worlC
. was showed around on top of it for II
. spection, speculation and consumption
! A. H. Benjamin Of New York ha
recently lambasted the railroads an
the packers through letter to the II
terstate commerce commission In whlc
he charged that he was refused prope
facilities for shipping this beef produt
n after he got it to this country. II
says he has to dispose Of it around Ne
York. IF the railroads would furns
him the ears to transport 1T, he decla
II ed, the price of beef would drop.
Il That s one reason. Here s what 1t
worth: This beef is being disposed {
: J, in New York and prices are stickin
] up to the top notch right there n Il
= Great White Way.
Now that this Argentine business h;
Is been disposed of to the satisfaction
re- the writer, Mexico and its cattle WI
of next be considered. From FL Paso COM
the cheerful information that j.