El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-07
SOLUTION
FOR HIGH PRICES
Cattle Raiser Says Public
Markets VIII Bring the
Retailers to Time.

EleE l4aAeu puu4lC markets OLLer q
solution 10 the price Of meat problem.
according to the statement of H n.
stonebreaker Of Kansas City, a mem
Der Of the executive committee OF the
Texas Cattle Raisers' association, Of
the national association and the
Kansas Cattle Raisers' association
1fr. stonehreaker is a member OF
the producers committee appointed
in Chicago Nay % to study problems
Of the meat industry from the pack
ers and producers viewpoint. he de-
clares that a plan is being worked
out by which it may be made prac-
ticable, through great general
organization Of all food producers OF
the United States. TO allow only reas-
enable profits in handling food and
TO cut down the present 120 percent
profit watch exists between the pro-
ducer and the consumer
Arraigns ProfiteerS.
Here is Mr.. Stonebreaazer' startling
arrai gnment Of the food profiteers-
Fat beef cattle have dropped -
per hundred in price in the last
six weeks.
Packers wholesale prices are
down 81 per hundred.
YET retailers are raising prices
Prices must come down and are
coming down as far Is the producer
and packer are concerned. while the
retail prices TO the consumer are go
Ing I'D" said Mr. Stonebreaker. The
cause Of this decline in the last six
weeks OF IS per hundred in all the
principal markets and 81 OF from
packers prices is that all export de
mands are off for the reason that the
United States government has l5e--
000. eco pounds Of frozen and canned
meats accumulated for the army.
England has as much or more and
now that the Argentina can get ship
ping after two years she is supplying
the export trade at about half the
prices this country could There have
been no exports from this country
for three months I got the figures
On these things in Chicago recently
Break in Prices to Come.
'-The break in prices has come and
cur range cattle viii have TO follow
The retailers cannot keep up these
prices and a most rigid Investigation
into their profiLeering is now under
way. The cattle swine and sheep pro-
ducers, packers and farm organlza-
tons are cooperating 10 solve the
problem Of the ultimate cost Of liv-
ing. We know and realize that prices
must come down and they slould
come down so that ali should get
high expense a reasonable profit II
any one tries TO make more than that
he should be brought TO account
II venture TO say there are four
times as many meat markets in I'll
Paso as should be- 7 can also say a
high war prices They must al come
back TO something like prewar prices
Producers Organizing.
There are 100000 meat producers
in the United States and 100000
farmers producing food stuffs- They
are oreanizing now along lines ! have
indicated TO stabilize prices so as %
allow just aud reasonable profits
The committees OF packers ana
producers appointed in Chicago re-
Gently from representatives OF var
i0us producing states and the packers
are working with farmers organiZa-
tons These committees ana repre-
seutatives win meet again In Chicago
on June % and possibly this fall there
viii be general convention Of rep
Of meat producers meat
and other food manufacturer ana
farmers organizations to takeNup and
devise some plan as I have Indicated
THE packers have showed UP
clean sheet. I think While ] do not
believe al tho stories they give out
they show their figures. During the
war the government allowed them
nine percent profit and they claim to
have made but six Their figures
show the latter and I think they are
correct anyway, they are the great
1isrrl butors % food products. and we
must have them Whatever evils at
tend their methods viii have TO be
as we hope 10 do with
those retailers OF any other interests
which initiate against reasonable
prices TO the consumer and reason
able profits TO the producers and
and TO the fewer
dealers"