The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-01

teglgeneer on the subject OF the proposed
free market, and also on the question of
ueasierz' licenses, which is based upon m
en-ire misunderstanding both OF the scope
OF ths ordisaoee frseif and the objects de-
signed to % accomplished thereby. The
burden OF ms complaint can bs seen from
the following extract from the letter:
Don't forget the farmer. Keep an eye
on hirn. ard snow him where ne can Sc
cure a license by paying only s. for the
privilege OF pedciing mis- butter and eggs.
because We must have ais money before ne
gets ont OF the city. / wonder in my own
mind ANY n is that the good people OF the
city Of Seattle are so anxious 70 pass an
ordinance prohibiting ranchers and small
farmsrs selling their productions 10 any
ar All who care TO buy from tEErn, without
first securing s. license for SIX months
straight, as / understand Il, or be com
velied 20 expose their goods in a city mar
kel until ali OF the best part Of the day 10
gone, or II not. we must stay out OF town
until In the after part Of the day when all
OF the choice marketing - done. and, toe.
home the same day"
The objec, OF the ordinances. contrary
10 the belief held by the farmer who writes
this communication. is not TO impose bur-
slens upon the farmer nor to increase ;Se
revenues OF the city Al his expense. To
understand the necessity Of the ordinances,
Il Is necessary to also understand the sit
uaiion which exists at present in this city.
There is a we'll founded complaint among
the farmers that this city does no, aford
as good market for local farm produce as
it should that the dealers here prefer TO
handle produce imported from California
and the East and do not care 70 purchase
such as Is locally grown.
The business OF supplying the families
OF Seattle with fresh vegetables. fruits,
etc. is at the present time almost entirely
Ia the hands Of commission men, who
eilaer supply the consumers directly or
sell TO numerous peddlers. who make the
rounds OF their various routes and supply
the families as needed. The farmers who
engage In peddling their produce from
house to house are very few IN number a.
compared with the peddlers who purchase
from commission men and produce dealers.
The commission men and produce deal
ers find Il TO their interest TO handle for
eigu-grown produce for many reasons.
which can be briefly summarized as fol-
lows: Their places OF business are located.
as a rule. within easy reach Of the steam
ship docks and the railroad sidetracks:
they can bay In San Francisco precisely
the quanuities they want put UP In attract
i've packages and delivered here with
promptness and certainty. as the demands
OF trade require. on the other hand, each
local farmer is an independent producer.
Hs can at best supply but one or two prod
ucts. In uncertain quantities. There Is at
present no system by which the farmers
and the produce dealers. much less the
consumers. can he brought together, so
that the farmer can always find a ready
market for his produce. and the latter
market place ia which 10 purchase local
produce la the quantities which his trade
may require.
The sole object sought TO be accomplished
by the market and peddling ordinance Is
10 increase the use or domestic produce
and decrease the use OF the foreign arti-
keeping at home large amounts Of money
which AZ present so abroad For this pur-
pose. and FOR the benefit OF the farmers
themselves. the market ordinance Is de-
signed. Il aims 20 provide a place where
the farmers may be sure of selling their
products on certain days. snd 10 which
the consumer may so with he certainty
81 finding there domestic produce of the
freshest. aud Of ali descriptions.
As far as ths peddliug feature Is con-
| cerncd. the object sought IS to protect the
farmers I'm the market from competition
during market hours. There are difficult
ties IN the way - framing peadlug ordi-
nance which some Of the farmers may not
comprehend. Fer example. every such
ordinance must pc uniform in It's opera
/ tlons. 7, would - beyond the constilu-
I tlonal powers Of the city council 10 pass
I an ordinance imposing tax upon pedalers
f - produce generally ani excepting farm
! ers selling their own produce from It's or
! eratlan altogether. This is the most seri-
/ ous dirHcul,y Il Is thus necessary. in or
I der 20 protest the farmers in the market.
20 impose some restrictions upon the
/ farmers themselves.
70 make the market sIccess. when e
/ Re onco iaauKgra5ed. will require the act-
! ive cooperation % the farmers IL is BE-
uevea that SIS establishment WI result in
/ grsat nsuedt 20 thom. which. indeed. is ire
/ primary object ~ the a holc legislation. L
1 thc farmers wiu dlsabuse taelr mlads ~
/ .s. idea that tho measure IS designed 20
/ impose additional burdens upon taem for
( Sc hsnsrst % jewellers in me cify. they can
/ make tae usrSet saccess. San IN time
i ar8 therein a ready sale far what they
/ raise. and can assist In ere present move
raent towards rnASiux thi@ state Industrial
I ~ i-dspfrfsv,;, BY so7rptH- tNe tnpor'a-
/ fIsn aua sale - foreign r-osucs. ws=,cs
! s-sslia "a w~8 30 raised AZ acme.
Tas measure Hcuss'ess has e.. irnpsrfee-
/ tious. TAey viii rrehab,y Develop IS the
sc-euss - rsl-,y ;zssd. and wAen nounsI
I cAa ~ readily rsuesses ny far;hrr lexssla-
.ior Tne usia oe'ec, ar present IS 70
have tae uarks. ssrzhussed IS sooa as
rossleie