The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15
w. Il. Mills Descants on the
Benefits Of the Proposed Free
Market.
MANY INQUIRIES RECEIVED
The Certainty of Profits From Small
Farms Would Stimulate I'm.
migration.

| The suggestion. which first appeared in
1HE CALL, for free market in San Fran.
CISCO has excited great interest through
out the State and has brought to THE CALI
and to w. ii. Mills, the gentleman who
made the suggestion through its columns,
great many inquiries regarding the pro-
| ject. Thomas Prather. banker of Oak
land, recently addressed William H. Mills,
asking for further information, and the
following reply of Mr.. Mills gives many
additional points of interest regarding the
enterprise:
A produce exchange in the first instance was
Tor the purpose of exchanging the things
which one man raised for things which he did
not, but which his neighbor raised. This free
exchange was the precedent of the modern
market.
In the cities of Europe there are free markets
places where people come and at a mere NOM
lnal Inquire have an opportunity of Offering
what they have produced either in exchange
Tor other products or for money.
In mod ern times, barter having disappeared
from our commercial system, the 1ule is to ex-
change tor money, but the producer and the
consumer are brought together.
Ihe hrst advantage arising out of an OPEN
tree market is the inspection OF the goods Of
fered Stale and unwholesome goods are not
tary value. Unripe fruit is prolific of all
ments, while stale fruits or vegetables in their
Garner stages OF decay are also unwholesome.
iree pubic market puts the quality of the
products offered under inspection and thus
conserves the health of the city.
The second great advantage arises out of the
publlc supervision OF quantities In the open
markets OF the East man who offers wood by
the cord with less than full cord of wood is
hned. Hay must have the weight that is de-
clared by him who offers it. All these matters
nave peen under successful conduct in the
various Eastern cities, notably in PHILADELPHIA
and Cincinnati.
These features would be indispens able to a
free market in San Francisco, but we want still
another. We want market under such super
vision as to furnish to the rasers OF products
daily information as to the demand This new
feature would be peculiar to California and it
Is doubtful whether it would be of much value
anywhere else. The vegetables and fruits
which cannot find local market had better
be lett in the ground, upon the vines and upon
the trees. Nobody expects the producers to
raise things Tor nothing, and there is no danger
that the producer will get rich.
The inherent tendency of modern CONNER
cial metho is is to congest money in the COM
middle class. The wealth generated by the
industry of people in modern times goes to
the cities, because the labor employed in the
cultivation of the soil is rude and lily paid,
while skilled labor is more adequately re-
warded. Here in California we can raise gar
den stuffs ell the year round. We have straw
berries in every month of the year; cabbage
beets, lettuce and onions in their fresh form
are in the markets all the time. Our climate
and soil lend themselves 10 gardening so
naturally that living in California should be
cheaper than anywhere else In the world.
Cheap living promotes our productive capac-
ity. It is a distinct aid to US in the compe-
ution which the world Offers and it must be