New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-11
reform IN RE TAI TRADE
To Tie Editor Of The n. Y. Tr'bsSe.

paid tins city iOf tne neccHsaTleo Oh NE are DOT
chargeabe to the inordDate profits of the retailers.
The espondeni whose charges he meets fairly rep
resents the views entertained by the majority Of house
keepers. And, indeed, the facts Of the case when
cursorly examined naturally lead person 10 the
clusion which your correspondent in nmon with the
bulk Of the community, has unhestatingy arrived
at. When we are informed that in the Western States
staple commodities are 10 be purchased at 80 per cent
Of the price that paying to the city retailers the
natural deduction is tbet this enhanced cost goes into
the pockets Of shopkeepers and that we have but to
clamor against Their exortOn with show OF ndigna-
ton TO compel them TO content themselves with more
moderate profits.
This is an entirely mistaken view, however, the
plain statement of "A City Baker" convincingly de-
monshates. That we pay excessive rates for all our
culinary supplies is due to deficient system Of dones
tic interchange. II by the Imperfect ion of ma
chinery we allow half dozen or more operators to
have the handling of our commodities each making
considerable addition to the ultimate cost Of the article,
VIC cannot escape paying nordnate rates the price of
the goods is already e1orbitanty raised before they
reach the retailers hands There is need to dwell
III on the circuitous route by which Western produce
arrives at this city, with all the arbitrary imposition of
speculative enhancement in the play OF commission
merchants jobbers, forestaers, &c. into each others
hands. All this jugglery is well known TO the commu
nifty and yet they inery submit to ALL and instead
of bestining themselves to find remedy, do nothing
| but grumbe.
TIE law that should be applied is plain enough. You
once pointed it out The remedy lies in the simple act
of bringing the INTO immediate taica
ton ruth HE producer. TO obtain our cattle from the
eraZier p Illinois, AID -four from the miller in Ohio,
| we do not need to delegate the trust to whole
army Of interested operators require an estab-
lsbmen here sufficiently extended IN its operations to
make dire CT purchases Of the Western grower and
the arrival OF the commodity at our port TO take it d.
ecty in hand and bake the -four into broad or slaugh
ter the cattle for the shambes and retail them to the
consumer with no greater additional cost than an eco
al Nc utato ahao.
lutely necessary.
Why cannot this be done Sir If by an association
of capital and the provision of adequate machinery
the Government can carry letter 1000 miles for
infnitesmal charge, or you supply with daily
broad sheet at still smaller cost, why cannot this
perfected system be extended to far wider and
necessary interchangeable supply of a whole nation
with food Individual competition is found to be
egregiously inadequate 10 the task; vast sums
derived by the interference of Spectators in the trans
fer of commodities for which equivalent is returned
TO the community the only result of their operation is
to enhance the ultimate cost of the article to the
sumner.
Your correspondent, to whom have before alluded
concludes his communication with the following peril
nent remark:
Where a saving is to be effected is IN keeping the
article out of the dealers hands Not the bakers but
the jobbcrs the parties TO decam against and if
the pubic il set upon having cheap -four they must
themselves lend hand in procuring the reform.
In what manner must they lend a hand The dis
satisfaction universally felt with present system,
would be no unwilDgness the part of the comma
nifty TO initiate movement toward the desiderated
economical reform, could there he only some practic
suggestions made, whereby the direct transfer of
mOdtes from producer TO consumer might be insured.
The plan to me simple enough, and, with your
leave, Sir, will briefly state my views
The great objection to the present system of retail
trade is comprised in the fact that is too expensive
to the Independent Of the supermposed en-
bancement of the cost of the commodity before it
reaches the hands Of the retailer the additional
GOOD nnrHrr N al
profit" is greater than there any natural necessity
for On account of the nited operations of these
talerT the baker averaging sale OF ia barrels OF
-four weekly and the butcher the keepers OF meat
shops inclusive av eraging three becves weekly; they
require minimum prOt OF 10 per cent 10 defray hclr
current expenditure. Under proper order OF things
this is entirely too much. The remedy lies here: AZ
glegae your operations Where the task of supplying
butchers meat to one Ward the Sixteenth is at present
divided among one hundred establishments, let 1t be
done by at most two; the details of the eseb-
lishmon to be based on the following system. The
object of the directors Of this proposed Ward Market
is to supply the inhabitants Of the ward in which it is
located fresh meat in whatever quantities. at growers
prices with the addition of the cost of transport,
The cost of labor employed in preparing it for distbu-
ton and fair interest for the capital invested. ms
enhancement will be regulated by an estimate of the
expenditure and ii is reasonable TO suppose com
mission of II per cent independent of freight,
would literally remunerate all concerned, and
form the only addition to the original cost
of the commodity Let how this affects
the community. Prime cattle now being delivered
TO packers flor export principally TO the Lv
erpool market al 81 cents per pound to sink the oha
Tie ofal is worth cent per pound, which reduces
the price of the carcass TO A. cents. Freight and Incl
| denial charges on the road from Chicago 10 New
York may be estimated nj 81 steer OF too pounds
net. This brings the price 10 O. cents commission
Of IL per cent upon such steer would be 80 or we
will say a cent per pound This makes the ultimate
cost to the cents per pound for the carcass
On the other hand, by present mode OF indirect
interchange where the drover is an acco nplshed d.
plomat coQuetting with the telegraph lines and for
wadng or Withholding stock as his interest Dictates
and where the broker is an experienced auch0ncer,
with his commissions for sppraisemen and such Ike
iuggery all to be paid for out of pockets accord
ing 10 our present mode, say, the price OF cattle az
Bulls Head is $40 per hundred. To this has to be
added the butchers profit, which cannot be estimated
at less than &C. per pound and we find we are paying
an average price of lOlc per pound, ALLOWING as be-
fore lc per pound for oia for our beef which 80
per cent more than there exists any positive necessity
Tor
This not the only benefit however, that wsdld be
found 10 result from this proposed smplhcaon. In
stead Of the continual clash of opposite interests in
| we'd in the system Of individual competition where
dealer aid purchaser are influenced by anagonishc
interests and Overchsrge on the one hand and msrrst
! on the other hand characterize every dealing We
| should have Il connected chain extending from pro-
Queer 10 consumer inducing in all uniform spirit
Of DISTINGUISHED far.deang. Once establish yonr ward
| markets and your ward bakeries on permanent
footing and let them become recognized throughout
the country sound institution there would then be
offered TO the producer uneXcepionaole market for
all he has for sale and the law of supply and demand
would be brought into harmonious operation since the
| demand would be certain, the value ungruC gingy
| given, and the payment sure.
Some may say This idea has been anticipated 10 the
present large retail establishments now in existence in
! this city. But it is not The large retail dealers
indsputaby are III condition TO sell at smaller profit
tla the small dealer for al obvious But the