Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-08-17
PROPOSED NEW MARKET HOUSE.
A Criticism Upon the Method of Running
the City Markets.
II Me EHNor 81 "a ReqisleI


SIR:-I see by an advertisement in the
city press that sealed proposals are asked
by Council for furnishing material and
erecting a market house in the Fifth ward
etc, etc.
1t is hard to say whether those of our
citizens who get their supplies OF food al
our market houses ought to laugh or cry
over this advertisement. Council intends
to expend over six thousand dollars OF
money raised by taxation on the real and
personal property of our citizens in build
ing a house in which these same citizens
are invited three times a week TO
assemble and be gouged by the par
ties bringing stuff to sell them. II
| Council would, before building any
more market houses, devote a part OF its
valuable time to overhauling the ordinances
governing Cd our markets and in, connec-
/ ton with the City Solicitor draft and or
dain a measure, which will protect our
citizens from the rapacity Of the hucksters
and middle men, who prey on them IN the
markets, and 50 frame il that when case
under il is brought before our learned
/ Judges it may not be declared unconsutu-
| tiOnal, the people will be more grateful 10
Council than they are ever likely 10 be If
this house is built and run under the pres
ent order Of things.
MANY members of Council do not attend
our markets, and with numbers OF our cltl-
zens have no idea of how things are man
AGED during market hours. They have "a
general knowledge of the ordinance, when
forbids person from buying from gard
ener. and carrying the stuff he buys to an
other part of the market and selling at an
advanced price to persons attending market.
But they do not know that the practice OF
so doing is so common that our market
houses are so crowded with these people,
and their tables and stands, that in some
places there is barely room
left for two persons to pass each
other. Another iniquity is that of whole
sale dealers going through the markets and
buying from one-half TO two-thirds of the
choicest vegetables in the market 10 ship
to other towns. When charged with
violating the ordinance, both buyer and
seller miserably lie about it, by declaring
that the stuff was engaged day or two be-
fore market. If this were true, is il prob
able that the gardeners would haul their
stuff to the market houses, unload il, and
arrange il in and about their stalls, and
then take the trouble TO load it again into
their or the wholesale dealers wagons. The
story, as the late Mr. Vaughan would say
"is too rotten thin
ANY one who will watch these ''pOach-
ers" while sneaking through market will
see from their low tone of voice when ask
ing for prices and quantities and their
guilty looks if detected that they know
they are violating the ordinances Of the
city.
To show that some protection is needed
for persons buying in our markets, let US
compare the prices of few things on our
streets yesterday and to-day Saturday
and the prices asked and obtained in the
markets by reason OF this forestalling and
reselling going on in them.
OnHs streets from Wagon. IN Market.
Corn-l5c per dozen ...... - cent, per dozen
orr GoZ. for DC
Tomatoe>-2Jc per peck......iOr per peck.
PotatoeS-2Oc per peck ......}Oc per peck
Butter-90c per pound ........ 25c per DO. asked.
These prices are specimen prices of the
whole list of things sold in market
An incident occurred in the Second Ward
Market on last Wednesday morning that
showed the way in which the buying TO sell
again worked against the private citizen.
\ very prominent citizen saw box Of
beans, from which he wished 10 purchase
peck He asked the gardener the price
and was told 80 cents peck, and wass also
told: II have just sold the whole box 10
that woman over at the curb She
ON being asked the price of her
beans, said 20 cents per half peck.
There was no previous engagement
here, but an open violation of the ordinance
through which every person buying from
the woman was compelled 10 pay an adj
vance of 30 per cent ON the gardeners
price. 1t is a safe assertion 20 make, that
our citizens pay - per cent more for the
supplies bought by them i'm our markets
than they would have 10 pay If the market
houses were torn down and the markets
market houses goes 10 the persons coming
there TO sell their stuff. Before the bell
rings TO open market the several dealers
have ascertained how much and how many
articles each one has 10 sell and fixed the
prices 10 be asked for them. II there were
no market houses there would be no COM
binations and each gardener would be
law unto himself
If we assume that there are seven thou
sand families in Wheeling and that four
thousand of them draw their supplies from ]
the Second ward market. 10 is safe 20 say /
That not less than two thousand dollars are .
paid by them each week over and above q /
fair price for every article sold them. This T.
assertion is based on the supposition that |
each family will average one dollar per |
week for marketing, other than meats, and
on the difference in prices on the
atreet and in the market. Is 1t
any wonder tnat one OF our regular EdIutu-
ers went into Court and swore that he made
$500 per year off each acre of his ground
Think of it-a piece of ground as large as
the square on which the Mcclure is situat-
ed. containing 3 % acres, would at that
rate pay him $. 2400O per year. And who
paws it, If Council will overhaul our whole
system Of running the markets-drive out
the hucksters and secondhand
dealers-keep the corner grocery
men at home-suppress the prac-
tice of wholesalers supplying neigh
boring towns with vegetables intended Tor
our own people. our citizens will be ben
Gifted to the amount of many thousands Of
dollars each and every year If it can't be
done after fair trial, then we will cheer
fully submit; but to say that our city gov
eminent cannot give US some protection IN
the matter Of the food we eat, and the
prices paid for it, is not only farce, but
fraud. l.