The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-18
QUESTION OF A
FREE MARKET

A@NAIot NAoIHInS CdII-Gentlenen On
the subject of a free market permit
me to make statement Of facts apper-
tanning thereto, with which probably
neither you nor the press nor public
are generally familiar.
There never was and never can be a
more free market than San Francisco
has enjoyed for several years past Any
farmer or producer of any kind can to-
day market his own goods at any land
ing in this city. free of cost, and is by
law exempt from paying any license:
any person wishing to purchase a sack
OF potatoes or sack of beans, or even
watermelon, can go to Jackson street
wharf and buy the same from the pro-
Queer, and has no toll or other charges
to pay. 1t is difficult to see how any
thing could be more free than it now
is. The bottom fact is that one in
dividual has been working UP this free
market scheme and playing upon the
WoTd Tree for his own aggrandfze-
ment, representing himself to be a
farmer. He has been doing this for
some years past, and hopes ultimately
to get the scheme through and posi-
oily secure position to wear a uniform
ana sell watermelonS. etc. It is true
that the Legislature enacted law
winch was approved by the Governor
on March 29, 1897, looking to the estab-
lishment of free market. This was
done under misrepresentation and by
gentlemen who had no knowledge of
the exact situation in this city, and is
law which would be more honored
IN the breach than in observance.
Your article of yesterday in The Call
indicates that you are not familiar with
the facts. You say that the inter
ests of large number of business men
now engaged in handling the farm
produce consumed by the people of this
city are opposed to change of system.
and their influence has been exerted to
MUMMY an act OF the Legislature" Per-
NIT me TO say that you are mistaken.
l am as well acquainted probably with
the parties you refer to as any man
possibly can be. l have never vet
heard any of them object to the estab
lishment of a free market In fact
down town among the men handling
produce the whole thing is looked 1non
as a huge joke, and as a matter which
is not of sufficient consequence to war
rant opposition. 1t is not difficult to
understand that the farmer shinninp
produce to this market must of neces-
sity have somebody to look after his
interests. IT you will take the mani
tests of the fruit boats of this citv. nv
which conVeyances the larger portion
OF the fruit and produce comes to mar
ket, you Will find that during the fruit
season there are from 100 to $50 shin
pers per day; that the average shin
ments of each do not exceed saw twenty
packages per day; that the average
price OF the twenty packages will not
exceed S10 per day, for the sale of which
the producer pays to the commission
man commission Of at the highest 3
per cent-that is to say, 80 cents. This
81 cents pays for the sale of the goods.
guarantees the payment of the money,
returns the empty packages, and all
other expenses. No farmer who has
good sense would ever come down and
pay his fare both ways on a steamboat
and spend his time during the harvest
time TO save so cents per day The
best evidence of this is furnished bv
the fact that when the party who
wishes to wear brass buttons and
shoulderstraps communicated with the
farmers or the interior a year or more
ago.. out of all the number of producers
In the river section above referred to.
ne got only two or three answers, and
that at the meeting held at the Cham
Der of Commerce in this city only two
or three interior farmers showed up
The free market system as proposed
by the individual referred to is wholly
lmpracticable in this The larger por-
ton of the produce of the fruit section
comes from the rivers, all of which ar
rives by the three lines of steamers
/. e., two Stockton lines and the Sacra-
mento line. A considerable other por-
ton comes by the Southern Pacific
Railway. The Southern Pacific depot
is at Fourth and King streets The
steamers land all the way from Mar
ket street wharf to Jackson street
wharf. It would be utterly impossible
to bring the receipts by rail at Fourth