New York Times, May 14, 1902

JEWISH BUTCHERS TO REOPEN. Decision Reached After a Conference with the Wholesalers, Who Made Certain Concessions.

The Hebrew Retail Butchers’ Association, the members of which have kept their stores closed during the past few days on the lower east side, in the effort to force the wholesale dealers to reduce the prices on the kosher beef, yesterday agreed to reopen all their stores to-day.

A meeting which 800 of the boycotters attended was held yesterday in New Irving Hall, on Broome Street. Representatives from the wholesalers were present, among them being Ferdinand Sulzberger of the firm of Schwarzschild & Sulzberger; Isaac Blumenthal, President of the United Dressed Beef Company, and Joseph Stern of the firm of Stern Brothers. Other small firms also were represented. Joseph Goldman of the 110 Suffolk Street, the President of the Retail Association, presided.

Both Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Sulzberger addressed the butchers on behalf of the wholesalers. They told them that it was impossible to reduce the price of beef, as they were paying more than formerly, and were obliged to raise the prices. The matter of Sunday closing was also considered, and many speeches denouncing it were delivered.

Some concessions made by the wholesalers were that they would not sell meat to speculators—butchers who buy in small quantities to sell to others of their trade, and known as middlemen—and that beginning next week the wholesalers would buy “wurst” meat from the Jewish butchers exclusively They also agreed to send the association the list of names of butchers who buy “trafe” meat, which is meat not inspected by the representatives of the rabbi, and who sell it for kosher. …

Mr. Goldman said that the association had found it useless to keep its stores closed, as the people suffered the most, and other butchers were profiting by the boycott. Customers, he said, were besieging the stores, inquiring when they would open. Poultry, on account of the great demand, had got beyond the means of the people.