The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-21
Congressman Crosser Asks Es-
Establishment of Municipal
Plant Here.
WOULD CUT PRICE OF MEAT
Ohio Lawmaker Answers Pub
Iicity Campaign Started
BY Big Packers.

Pointing to the successful use ri
municipal abattoirs in Europe, and
In few cities OF this country. Con
gresham Robert Crosser OF Ohio, has
offered a bill In the House providing
for the establishment OF such an In
stitution In Washington "for reduc
ing the price OF meat to the consum
er, stimulating beef production. and
enforcing strict Federal inspection OF
meats"
congressman Crossor, who ts
member OF the House District Com
mittee, SAYS that his measure has the
approval OF the chairman OF the Board
of Commissioners, oliver T.. Newman
and that the District Committe soon
will hear Maryland and Virginia resi-
dents who are In favor OF munl
eipal abattoir in the Capital.
VIII 90 To Comn,issiSners.
II IL customary to refer District
bills to the Commissioners for an
opinion as to their merit and the
Crosscr bill probably will reach fho
District building within the next few
days.
In an interview today Congressman
Crosser discussed the needs OF an
abatttoir In Washington.
zone Of the reasons why meat is
so high in Washington and through.
out the country" he said. sis that the
present system OF marketing and dis.
trlbuting meat In controlled almost
wholly by the great packing inter.
ests. This diEcourages the farmers
within a radius OF nfty miles OF
Washington from growing beef &c.
cause the profits to Justify the indus.
try have been taken away.
started Publicity Campaign.
The day following the announce.
ment In the press that a municipal
abattoir bill would be introduced, the
packing interests inserted q large ad.
vcrtiscment In the local papers The
purport Of which was to to throw cold
water on my plan by misleading the
public into believing that Armour. for
example, was able To utilize the by.
products from the centralized slaught.
er houses In such way ~ to re-.
duce the cost OF beefstcak To the
consumer.
But the consumer knows only too
well that beefsteak IL higher than
II ever was, and man doesn't have
To be a butcher To sec the joker In the
advertisement, which cunningly seeks
60 show n loss to the packer In the
transaction OF butchering, except for
by.products. classifying as n by.
product tho hide which every one
knows " not n byproduct but an IS.
tablished article OF commerce and
worth, on todny'S market for the steer
which they describe, $1,000.
1T H. absurd for them To claim justi.
neation for monopoly In the way, for
by,products are not lost In the
slaughtering In n municipal abattoir.
Sees Drop In Meat Price.
"The bill will strike a body blow
at the high cost Of meat. and Incl.
dentHlly demonstrate the ineffciency
OF monopoly OF the industry by the
big and powerful packing interests.
This instant response To my plan
through the advertising columns
proves this To be the case,
"The other day a Maryland farmer
came into my office with this iilumi.
mating story: He had recently dis.
posed of two cows One no had
shipped To Washington and sold at
prevailing prices for live weight COW:
tho smaller one was butchered on
his farm and sold Wholesale to the
merchants In the small town near
his farm.
THE COW shipped TO Washington,
the better OF the two, Melted him but
SOS. while the one he butchered at
home brought $50, a handsome profit
20 him, with the fertilizer value OF
the offal thrown In.
Provides "sauare DIAL"
But this farmer could not handle
such transactions as a regular thing.
and, what he and every other farmer
wants, is merely the opportunity to
sell cows, steers, calves, sheep, and
hogs In manner that will insure
him that he IL realizing on their true
value To the consumer. He knows
that he Is not getting a square deal
now, and through my municipal abat.
toir I intend that he shall have a
square deal.
"a municipal abattoir IL not
dream, IL Is an actually Municipal
Rbattoirs exist universally In Europe,
several are already in successful op.
Grafton In this country, one in Paris,