The evening world., 1919-02-17

some other crooked practices that
should also be exposed"
When asked what other kind Of
deception or crookedness he had IN
mind, he said: II mean the swap
ping of poultry behind tho screen.
This could be remedicd." he contin-
ued, 'if housekeepcrs would attend
personally to the cleaning of their
own chickens, but most purchasers
of poultry ask TO have them drawn,
and some also want them cut UP for
fricassecing.
These chickens are passed 70 a
man behind a screen, who substitutes
a smaller bird of the same variety,
and the unsuspectng housewife Is
cheated out OF the price of at least
one pound OF poultry on each pur-
chase"
In the immediate vicinity OF Broad
way and Goth Street large market
was so crowded that the attendants
had difficulty in passing around. The
prices generally were moderate.
prime rib roasts were selling at i6
20 IS cents. and sirloins from As 20
so cents, but some stores had a cash
and carry department where meats
OF snme grades were sold at to 3
cents per pound less.
Eggs were generally retailed at 10
out the large sizes and charged 50
to 55 cents a dozen.
Creamery butter was also sold TO
consumers at SO 10 55 cents for a
good grade of table. but fancy cream
cry in the high class stores was sell
ing at IS to 60 cents.
New cheese was retailed at 35
cents, while sharp old cheese sold at
40 to IS cents. Most OF the dealers
admitted that their margins OF profit
were extremely small. but that house
wives were buying more food than
month ago.
Fresh killed poultry went to the
consumers at 80 to 35 cents for frlc-
assoc fowls and 3S to 40 cents for
roasting chickens.
Potatoes, Cabbages and nearly all
| other vegetables are reasonably cheap
for this season of the year.
Take away the privately owned re-
| frigerated car from the Beef Trust
and it's most formidable weapon foe
controlling the supply and prices OF
meats will be gone. The foregoing
| is the concrete answer to the query OF
| The Evening World to some OF the
| largest independent wholesale meat
dealers. The unwarranted advance In
the price of fresh meats in the past
two weeks by the Beef Trust stands
out in bold relief as compared with
its many other sins of commission
and oppression.
Our kind hearted Government
awarded the Beef Trust a contract for
| 40,O0O,000 pounds of meat at 26 cents
| Tor whole cattle, which is at least
cents per pound higher than the nor
mai value under present trade condi
tons. In other words, the trust got n
gift of $4,000 900 on that deal. A con-
tract was awarded at the same time
/ for 400,000000 pounds Of pork. The
war is over. but the llXcd war price
| stlll remains on pork, and If that arti-
! flcial price was removed by the Gov
crnment a decline OF 10 cents a pound
would leave the wholesale market on
pork higher than the normal level OF
prices in prev war times. This con-
tract for pork means that the Govern
ment is paying the Beef Trust $40
/ 900, 900 moro than IL would be cnti
! tied TO If the law OF supply and de-
mand were in operation. These de-
| liveries will extend over tho entire
month OF February. Now. for these
favors extended by the Government
to the large packers our hundred OF
| more millions OF consumers are cOm
| PEELED TO pay unheard-of prices for
meats, due to the methods OF the trust
In short shipping the Eastern markets
and artificially forcing up Prices.
The privately owned Refrigerator
cars give the large beef companies al
unfair advantage over their competi.
tors, but II the railroad regulation!
were administered impartially all tn,
beef companies could realize would b,
a mileage on their rolling stock. Al
Investigation by the Government dis
closed the fact that the average mile
age OF the loaded Beef Trust cars wa
eighty miles a day, while the car
loaded for the independents or com
petitors OF the Beef Trust average,
only forty miles a day.
An Independent Wholesale dealer wa
asked to reconcile this difference, ant
how 1t was possible that the car
loaded for Independents only covered
half the distance daily that the trust
owned cars did.
I'm the first place" he said, 9TH
beef companies hav, an agent at eacl
routing point who secs TO II that IN
Beef Trust cars are promptly re-ico,
and forwarded, while the car for IN
Independent viii remain on the sid'n
until the railroad employees see fit &
attend 10 IT. Then, again, If the car
: need 10 be iced, the Beef Trust agcn
win check up the amount actual
used, while the independent will hav
to pay the icing charge even II no ic
was furnished. UAder tho syster
recently in vogue by the railroads O
charging for a maximum weight on
car OF beef, the large packers Coul
bring much OF their dressed poultr
and beef products on the floors OF Ia
cars under tho beef without an
charge, and this served as a knock
pnt hloW for pDm mpgtititu -