The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-07-25
EIucksters and Markets.

huckstcrs every now and then give irrfa
deal Of trouble to city communities. These
troublesome customers to society are always
being regulated, and are yet unrcSuIated.
We long since came to the conclusion thar
the laws on the subject were Anticipated ana
,nsuitcd to the day in which wc live, II, III
deed, thew were ever suited to any other.
LIuckstcrs should be taxed fairly with other
people for dciny business i'll the city. fui-
thcr than that, we doubt whether any al
vantage WAS ever derived by the coillinlnlt!
in placing restrictions upon them, rs though
they were enemies Of mankind.
There arc no evils from combinations
amongst that class of dealers which may not
be cured by competition and otherwise, as
with other trades. Profits. Ill these days oi
steam. of rapid communication, and thor
ouch distribution OF the ncccsSarics Of life,
cannot long remain unreasomthiy large. Men
soon find where money Is rapidly made. ana
enter the field in such numbers us to brlnS
down gains to the proper ratio compared
with other pursuits. The lulckstcr Is un-
ouestionaby Il valuable mddlcman. saving
the farmer or gardener great deal Ut trouble
bv taking his products of his hands and dis
posing them in thee pursuit OF his regular
business, willie the producer goes Oh llnill-
tcrruptcdly filling his soil; whereas the laDor
and time required TO carry his own produce
TO market, and there retail it. would be = Sc
rious drawback, and he is often Il heavy loser
through the intidclity OF his nlarkclman.
Nor has the huckstcr amy wide margin Tor
.holding back" and otherwise controlling
the market His stock in trade is too perish
able, and the supplies are rcplcnishcd too
rapidIy. We are of opinion that the best
protection to the community in this rs other
things is in free trade, which invites COM
| petition and stimulates enterprise TO the
| great advantage of society.
But there is another point bearing upon
the old notions about huckStcrIng. The
| large cities are gradually growing indepcn-
dent of markct-holl>cS. The huckster has
been elevated to the dignity of Il large dealer
| in fine store, with marble tables, plate
glass windows, and the generally fashion,
| able style of the day. lie is now called Il
| green-groccr, and keeps Il stock which in
variety and quality is highly acceptable to
city communities, and Il great public con-
vcnencc. People at 4 distance from market
houses have not time to go to them. and
| when they can yet what they want ut the
next corner, they never think OF gong.
| Besides, when citizen knows nc can at
any time of day get il few doors from him
| anything that may be wanted for his table
to provide for any sudden cNigency, OF
course he is saved the necessity of buying
more than enough TO supply immediate
| wants at any time.
In all the large cities the green.grocer is
| greatly diminishing the numbers visiting the
old-tashioned market-house, and the idea is
| that that old institution will ere long be in Il
great degree dispensed with. We have be-
fore us il letter from the editor of the Balti-
| more american, dated at Marseilles, in which
we find the following paragraph:
In fact markets, as places i'll which the
head of the family can purchase meat, vege-
tables, and fruits, are fast going into disuse
in both England and France. The green
grocer alone attends the markets and buys
by the Wholesale and those who huckster on
tile streets are bis rivals in business. Thus
it is that an Englishman or Frcnchman visit
ing Baltimore considers our markets SO great
curiosity.
There are some of the grccn-grocers in
Richmond, and we should be glad to see the
number increased. They are great public
convenience. They ought to be encouraged.
| And, indeed, SO ought ill honest trades, espe-
cially those through whom people arc sup
piled with the nccessaries of life.