The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-13
mo CHANCE FOR
MEAT COST DROP
Even If Canned Meat Were
Placed on Market, People
Would Not Q
Buy It.
THEY WANT IT FRESH
Surplus of 2s4,ooo,ooo Pounds to be
Sold Outside and Prices
VIII be Sus-
tanned.
THEY WANT IT FRESH

United PreSS Leased wire SeTVlCe.1
CHICAGO, May 13.-Consumers,
retail meat dealers and refrigeratins
experts here today declared that the
| 264, 100000 pound meat surplus IN
possession of the government would
make little difference in prices If
dumped on the domestic market.
| All were a unit in recommending
/ the sale of the canned meat abroad,
where they said 1t was needed far
more than on this side. The real
reason why there would be no lower
ing in price IL the meat went to
dealers in the United States is the
refusal of the average American to
eat canned meats, they said.
Mrs. Caroline Bley, president OF
the Clean Food club here and also a
prominent member of the House
wives league said that the canned
meat would have no market in this
country, except as 1t was bought up
for lumber camps and other places
difficult of access. She said very
small proportion of the people in the
cities would be willing to purchase
canned meat.
"Tn the average American home,
I the fresh meat habit is too strongly
developed to permit purchase OF
| canned meat, except in rare cases,
| said Mrs. Bley. This surplus is
principally canned beef, understand,
and / know of no housewife who
would buy her beef canned. The
price Of fresh meats would not be
materially affected by dumping t.le
canned variety on the market"
| John A. Newman, retrigerating ex-
pert said the surplus really was not
SO large. He said it would supply
! every family in the United Sta:os
with only about a weeks meat-if
the housewives would take kindly 20
canned meat.
/ Newman believed there woul1 .'e
temporary reduction in meat prizes
| all along the line if the surplus was
released in the United States. The
drop, he said, would be caused mcfe
! by sentiment than reality.
"The figures seem large" he SAID.
l"People don't realize how little 'ln
| amount is when spread around. But
retailers would think prices were
about to drop and SO would stop
buying. Wholesalers would find them
selves with large accumulations OF
meat. It would mean cutting prices
to move the stuff The consumer
would benefit, but oiiy temporarily.
Prices would go back"
| Retail meat men agreed that prices
would be little affected, because
every American is essentially fresh
meat eater and would not deign to
| take canned beef at dinner. A GER
tain foreign element would be on the
market for it, they said, but not In
sufficient numbers to cut into the
| fresh meat trade.
Packers were surprised to learn OF
the big meat surplus according to F.
W. Waddell, of Armour and Com
pany.
This supply would be excellent In
breaking a famine, according to Wad-
dell. Packed for expediency rather
/! than looks, and for keeping qualities
rather than for appealing to delicate
/, palates, he said these tins might not
sell readily in this country.
Labor's big wages have eliminated
| to a great extent a demand for cheap
products, he said. One class as well
| as another now demands the best of
everything. This suddenly cultivated
appetite for high class goods, Wad
|
! Gus criticism Of any plan to sustain
prices
| Mrs. Heath Is Amazed.
/ NEW YORK, May 13.-While q
ertain stability in meat prices is
necessary, ANY deliberate profiteer
ing Of course, would be almost trea
son." said DR.. H. A. Chandler. of the
Columbia university economics de
partment today, discussing the wal
department-packer agreement to un
II load the army meat surplus abroad
to prevent price declines,
! Mrs. Julian Heath, president Of the
National Housewives league ex
pressed amazement that there should
/ be any attempt to keep up meat
prices, declaring food certainly
should not be sent abroad as long as
! 1t is scarce at home"
! ~