The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-05-10
Unless Seattle Gets One Soon, Tacoma
Will Secure a Great Deal of Business
That Should Come Here===ReaSOnS
Why a Market Should be Established

The rapid Increase IN the number
CO small farmers aud gardeners In
the immediate vicinity OF Seattle
makes n public market more usses-
saTy al the present time than ever
before. During the past two years
the number % people settled on
small farms near the city has mere
than doubled and the section 81 the
county % the north and south. as
well as across Lake Washing on. Is
now setting Up rapidly.
Besides this. Tacoma Is preparing
60 steal march on Seattle In at
tracing the producers by establish
Ing public market. and this viii
have decidedly bad effect GA the
consumers here and the store keep
ers who depend upon the country for
q good part OF their trade. Certain
sections % the south sill 10 70 Ia
coma. both 20 sell ana 10 trade. in
the event OF a market there. aud Sc
attic viii lose both Ways.
The heaviest growth In the pro
ducing sections Of the county i to-
ward the south. or toward Tacoma.
and Seattle must do something TO
hold this patronage. Better faeili-
ties for trading and a larger market
makes Seattle the mast favored u
TIE farmers. but In the absence Of
anything better. the farmer viii 80
where he hes the beaf advantages.
HARD on THE FARMERS.
At the present time the farmer has
TO send his products 70 commission
men and many times does not get
enough cut OF them % pay the eN-
penses q production lie has 70
submit to the viii and dictation Of
the city commission men or else keep
his products lie Is not independent
in the sense the farmer Is supposed
20 be.
Now the Seattle market for the
local products depends upon the
commission houses. The producer
does not have an opportunity 70 get
into the city to look over conditions
and Il kept totally IN the dark IN re-
gard 20 things that would be most
beneficial 20 his interests.
on the other hand. the consumers
az Seattle do not have the opportu-
] nifty to procure fresh products. be-
cause there are none TO procure. All
the vegetables. butter and eggs are
purchased by commission men. who
N turn sell them 90 the retail deal
er- and they 10 the consumer In
this way considerable time Is lost
from the hands OF the producer 10
the table OF the consumer and all
that time the products are losing
their freshness
The cost to the consumer Il also
increased. The commission man
must have his profit. the retail deal
or must have something 20 ray his
help and his rent ana profit In
this way either the consumer r.
obliged 70 pay a high price for his
goods Or the producer sells his prod
ucts AZ A price that + too small. A
a general rule the effect Is both
ways. both consumer and producer
losing certain benefits that by right
belong to both.
A HEI.P To BOTH.
The establishment Of n public mar
ket would benefit both. II would
give the producer an opportunity 10
meet the consumer He would get
a better price for his goods. He
would have a firm and steady mar
kst 70 depend upon. II would en-
courage him 20 build up q home in
! the suburbs Of Seattle
The consumer would have an OPP
portunity % procure fresh products
He could procure these necessities
az a price much less than ~ pres
ent. He could 60 20 the market and
get tust what he wants without be-
ing obliged 20 take anything that II
y delivered to him. At present he r.
fobliged 20 purchase the stock that
has been on hand for several days
or 20 without
There IL another class that would
be benefited BY the market. and that
Il r. the storskseper IN the city. The
increased money placed IN the hands
OF The farmer would 60 into circuIa-
ton az the stores % the city. Mar
ket day would be not only a day
when the consumer could get fresh
goods. but a day when the farmers
made the small purchases for their
homes. and IN every city where there
= market u II an established fact
4 that the farmers buy more when
4 they have an opportunity 20 visit
q market than when they do not.
The small dealers 81 the city would
also have chance 70 procure their
goods from the farmers and deliver
them 70 the consumers fresh. The
commission men would thus be able
4 20 obtain fresh stocks for their ship
ments 70 the North and East. In
more than one way the storekeep-
ers and dealers o. the city would be
benefited by the market
King county. with Thousands u
acres Of the finest land. should pro-
duce all the vegetables. butter and
eggs for the consumers Of the eoun-
- and thus do sway with the ne
oessiiY d Seattle going south for
green goods, as she does today. The
money spent In California and Ore