The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-09-14
BLAMES HIGH NEAT COST ON
PROHIBITION.

Cutting OH Grain Refuse From Brew
cries Forces Cattle Raiser to Pas
ture Stock. Says EXpert-PackerS
Accused Of Storing Hogs to Raise
Prices.
Prohibition is held responsible by
some dealers for the newest wave OF
high prices of meats. They maintain
that closing down distilleries has
caused the prices of beef to soar above
The figures of Civil War days.
Cattlemen have always found il
profitable to feed stock on the refuse
of grain and corn furnished by dis
tilleries and breweries. With the clos
ing of distilleries in the prohibition
States, this source of food has failed
the cattle raisers. Grain is too expen-
sive to feed because the farmer can
get more for the grain in the market
than he can realize in the slight in
crease in the value of grain fed cat
tie.
Figures show that a steer weighing
600 pounds will weigh 900 pounds
when ready for market if fed on
grain refuse whereas a steer Of the
SAINT wight lCLI W pd0IuAS "1@@ ~A~~
weigh more than 700 or 725 pounds.
Predicts Higher Prices.
This explanation of the beef situa-
ton was advanced yesterday by Pat
rick Quinn Foy, publisher of the Daily
Market Report, and an expert on
market prices. He added:
With the closing of the whiskey
distilleries on September 8th, the sit
uation will become still worse, and
prices will reach figures heretofore
never dreamed Of
Dressed beef has gone up cents
pound since Wednesday and cents
a. pound since July 16. Although all
meats are from to 10 cents pound
higher now than at this time year
ago, marketmen predict that prices
will go still higher before the middle
of September. They assert that hind
quarters of beef will bring 26 cents a
pound wholesale. The retailers add
that this means that sirlOin steaks will
cost the housewife 60 cents a pound,
with porterhouse, chuck and round
steaks advancing at proportionate fig
ureS.
The only possible relief, says whole
salers, is in a reduction of grain
prices-relef that Herbert c. Hoover,
national food director, alone can bring.
Urges Government Action.
Hogs will continue to soar, selling
yesterday at $3.50 hundred pounds,
with several shipments at $18.75.
This is nearly a dollar above the pre-
vious high record for the year. Pat
rick Kyne, manager of Murray's Res
taurant, said:
The explanation of a rise in beef
prices is simple, but | see no reason
for the advance in hog prices. The
war, the heavy exports to the allies, |
and the cessation of the Argentine
beef shipments to the United States, |
to my mind, account for the advance
in beef prices.
; With hogs the situation is differ !
ent. believe that hogs, which are
easily raised, are as plentiful as ever,
and are being stored by the packers in
the Middle West. We must come |
speedily to government control"
Charles Grismer, of Brooklyn, |
president of the United Master |
Butchers Association of America, as
cribes the situation to the war. He
declared yesterday that retail butch
ers were absolutely free from blame,
and cited numerous recent failures as
proof that high prices were forcing
retailers out of business. Mr.. Girls /,
mer added:
Now that the whole animal in
dressed state sells for 20 cents a
pound, the retailer must get 40 cents |
a pound for roasts in order to break
even. He should charge more. The
small man is at further disadvan-
tage because the people in hot weather
will not buy soup and stew meat, and
corn beef, which requires cooking for
hours over a hot fire. To move this
meat at all, the retailer must often
sell at loss"
Poultry should be cheaper, accord |
ing to Mr.. FOy. He said: There are
4S,0O0,000 pounds of poultry in stor-
age, as compared with 100000 pounds
last year" The retailers, he asserted
were boosting poultry prices to cover
losses on meats.-New York Ameri-
can, Aug. IS, 1917.
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