Daily Republican., 1882-12-07
FREE Markets.
a Leading Manufacturers Views
fn favor dTFre6 KarkHts.

1n favor or TFFeS MRrk6ts.
Having noticed several articles IN the
papers In relation to street markets,
mostly against them, l think there
might be something said in their favor.
This being a large manufacturing city
where great many mechanics live,
1t ID first very desirable to have cheap
rents and next TO this cheap markets
are necessary for cheap labor, and cheap
labor is the only way we can compete
Vith the great competition now in
every branch of business. The West
and South are now the great competitors
against the east in manufacturing, and
one great reason why they can 80 easily
compete with our larger experience is
because living and rents are cheaper
their than here.
Baltimore has its cheap Saturday
night markets and Louisville its cheap
night market, New Orleans and Cincin-
natl their cheap markets, where cheap
marketing Is sold to the poorer class BY
vendors along the street. Harrisburg,
Philadelphia, Reading, and Norfolk
have markets where the country people
sell their goods along the streets, much
the same as in Wilmington. In fact
this Is true of very many cities through
out our country.
As we all know it is the middle men
or too much handling, going through
too many hands, that increases the price
of all most every commodity that we
have to buy. Flour that brings about
$500 barrel in the West sells here at
about 80 80, all because it must pass
through 30 many hands, and 80 with
meat and almost every thing we cat
Give us free markets if we want to live
cheap, and keep up our city as maui
featuring city. A very large number
of the farmers who live within fifteen
miles of our city, produce little more
OF many things than they want for
their own use, and come once in a while
to our city to sell their small surplus
products, could not afford to pay for
stall in a market house and when they
sell their small products they spend
their money with our stOre-keeperS for
& ODDS that they need.
All this gives US better and cheaper
market, brings customers for Our'man.
ufactured goods without the services Of
middle men to increase the cost 10 the
consumer. 1t is no. the people to
any extent who live or do business on
King street or the farmer who has to
stand out in the cold as some one has
so kindly sa!d) that are complaining,
out some parties that live off the street
or perhaps some middle man that wants
10 reap agood pro fit out of some poor
mechanic that would like to have the
opportunity to buy from first hands.
In word l, as a manufacturer, verify
believe all legislation that tends to ward
driving our country friends from our
market will tend towards making IL
harder for US to compete as a manu-
featuring city with our Western and
Northern competitors, who by their
free markets md cheap labor are MAX
ing IL harder every year for US to keep
pace with them. We had better put up
with little Inconvenience than drive
ont or break down our large factories
that can 10 longer exist because OF too
great compel ion.
Having travelled over very large
part OF this country and looked into
the cheap markets and cheap rents and
cheap living for mechanics, l know
whereof | write. | hope before our
city Council votes to hreak up our
markets they will consider this one
thing that we will have to pay from
ten to twenty-five per cent more for
marketing of all descriptions than we.
now do, which l find IhaVe to doevery
tune am compelled to buy at the
market houses. A word for our New
Jersey friends. Give them good place
in Fourth or some other street to sell
produce to US without any middle
mon and buy our goods which they
do largely beng among our very best
customers, spending their money freely
with us and paying cash for ali they
buy.
The country is crying out for a rcanc-
tion of taxes and tariff, give as then
cheap markets that our mechanics and
manufacturers may live well on good
fresh butter, eggs and poultry meat
and vegetables that have not been
handled by two or three hands and
kept until stale and unhealthy and we
can make cheap goods and sell them IN
return and thereby increase the busi-
ness of our city, and we feel very sure |
the King street merchants or manufac-
turers will not burden you with petit
tions to remove the markets from their
doors or ask you to make the farmers
even to remove the shafts from their
wagons which caused them very much
Inconvenience, and 10 of little benefit 10
any one. They should prop them up
well which they can readily do with
little trouble or inconvenience. Let
the farmer come on King as we'll
as any other street tfat we may
have a free, full m'rket and do not let
every man, woman and Child be taxed
the extra cost of building large market
houses to enrich few individuals.
A MANUFACTURE.