Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-17
SlKLOlN STEAK AT 81 "A POUND
MENACES LAW OF GRAVITATION
REVEALED BY SIR ISAAC NEWTON
Meat Prices Soar, but Don't Come Down-Pig and
Sheep, as Well as the Historic Cow, Aiming
for Flight Over the Moon
By M'LISS

1t was the late Sir Isaac Newton, famed
for his discovery Of gravitation, who ex-
pounded the principle that what goes up
must inevitably come down.
Talk with the meat men of the city. rep
resentatives of the large western firms and
dealers who do a purely local business and
you reach the conclusion that history may
have been right when It credited Sir Isaac
with experiments with the apple. One thing
is certain. the great scientist did not play
with meat.
Meat is up. Meat Is going still further
up, and there seems no one with the courage
to predict or the vision to SEQ just when
meat will come down.
There is the probability that in the near
future it may cost you a dollar to sink your
teeth into pound of succulent sirloin.
There Is the possibility that the people made
carnivorous by years Of a plentiful supply
will resort to meat riots in an endeavor to
avoid being pushed summarily on the vege-
table wagon.
CALL HOOVER "BUFFALoED"
The meat dealers are alive to these facts.
They admit them freely, suavely, blandly
Then they ask with an innocent air, which
1t seems they are entirely justified In wear
ing in this instance: What are we ex-
pected to do in the matter, when the meat
situation has Herbert Hoover himself buf.
faloed?'
The food administrator, before the con-
ference of live stock dealers being held in
washington. declared the meat problem to
be so grave that price-fixing by Uncle Sam
would not be q panacea.
'There is nothing to be done" he said,
ito stop the rise in meat prices If the short.
age continues"
As an instance Of their willingness 10 do
anything to alleviate the situation how
ever, the entire meat-packing Industry of
the country surrendered it's plants to Mr.
Hoover The food administrator will pro-
vide Federal supervision that will include
the licensing of every plant. This will
enable the Government systematically to
keep an eye on the output Of the plants
Nevertheless, despite this concession, Mr.
Hoover refused to grow optimistic over the
effect 1t would have In reducing prices
Representatives Of the Armour Swift and
Cudahy branches in this city and also local
dealers are one in declaring that Hoover is
right and that the COW, not content in
jumping over the moon, may keep soaring
to such heights as to become wholly beyond
tne reaCn OF tne antl-alTCrd1t guns or Mr..
Consumers pocketbook.
RECORD RATES ON MEATS
Pork chops, which within the memory
of all grown men sold for twelve and a half
cents pound, now fiuctuate, for the choice
cuts. to from forty to forty-flve cents,
Prophets declare they are going up.
The choicest cuts of beef have touched
fifty cents the pound. The prophets repeat
themselves.
Young lamb and veal have kept pace with
beef
And the prophets outdo themselves by
saying that the ime is not far distant when
it will be impossible to get anything so
young in meat for love or money. Economy
demands that all the young be allowed to
mature into full-sized animals That is
what you hear in meat circles.
''The people are Just becoming aroused
to the fact that the blame Is not to be put
on the meat packers" r. A. Moore, manager
of the Philadelphia branch Of the Armour
house, said "In order to find the answer
to the meat question It is necessary to ex-
anime many, many links in a long chain
which leads back not only to the live-stocS
dealer. but actually to the men who provide
the food for the animals and the labor
necessary on the stock farms.
| ITS the old question of supply and de
mand" he continued. "In the first place
| the people of this country have not beer
| used, to doing without. They want what
| they want when they want it. And despite
| the fact that the production Of cattle has
decreased and the population increased
| they want meat.
"Then the war came, and before the EN-
barge was put on meat enormous quaint
| ties went out of the country. Europe
wanted it at any price and paid for it
| Demand has far exceeded the supply Now
our allies and our soldiers will want grea
| quantities. They will have to have it."
| How about the 750,000,000 pounds o.
| meat which recent Government report.
showed to be In cold storage?" he wa:
| asked. ' ~ e. f.'ti
Probably some meat is being held" h,