The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-01
FARMERS AFTER
THE GREEN GROCER
Producers Will Establish a Mar
ket in City of Salt
Lake.
WILL KEEP PRICES
DOWN FOR CONSUMER
MiddIemen, Who, Farmers De-
clare, Have Reaped Great
Profit, to Be ReIegated.

The farmers who bring vegetable
products to the Salt Lake market con-
slider that they are not getting a square
deal from the grocers of the city with
whom they have mostly to deal. They
contend that the supply OF produce of
this kind is scarcely adequate to the
demands of Salt Lake and the nearby
mining camps where this class Of stuff
is shipped, but that in the face of this
condition they receive no more. and in
many instances less. for their produce
than do the farmers and gardeners In
the East. On the other hand, they
state that consumers are obliged TO
pay cxorbitant prices.
Whit Farmers Declare.
Saturday morning farmer from
Bountiful stated that the grocers were
especially severe In their demands. He
declared that the grocers are virtually
holding down prices so as to put the
farmers on q level with tho Chinese,
and at the same time holding up retail
prices so as to make the ordinary fam
lily pay prices that only the rich can
afford The farmers say that the gro
GERS have taken advantage of the city
ordinances of Zion and have formed
combine that Is an unreasonable trust
In an aggravated form.
Farmers they maintain. cannot at
tend to their crops and carry on busi-
ness of peddlmg from house to house.
They are forbid by the city authorities
from selling to any one but dealers on
the market place on First South street.
The result Is that they are obliged to
take what is offered.
They claim that In most instances
the groCers make as much and fire.
1U nv a
in few hours time than the farmers
get for 1t, although its production has
required several months work In addi-
tion to the investment.
Injustice Is Alleged
Some OF the injustices and extortions
as alleged arc in the case of lettuce.
radishes onions. turnips, carrots and
beets, for which the farmers are paid
only from 10 cents to Is cents dozen
punches. tho usual price being two
dozen lunches for 25 cents. AS soon
as these articles are carried across the
sidewalk they ara held at cents
bunch. Sometimes they are sold three
punches for 10 cents. The usual custom
is that the prices are more than dou-
bled. A smaller profit, they state, is
seldom made, and even a greater profit
is frequently eXacted.
1t was stated that on Saturday pota-
toes were held down to from 81 to 81 20
a bushel and that they were retailed
for 50 bushel. which Is considered too
much Of profit for goods not extreme
ly perishable. In watermelon time
melons are bought by retailers for 81 25
a dozen, and the retail price is then
fixed al 40 cents each These alleged
iniustices could be indefinitely eX-
tended
To Stop Abuses.
The system has prevailed go long
that the attitude OF the grocers. the
farmers says. has become unbearable.
To stop these abuses and to protect
their interests and to enable the ordi
nary buyer to supply his table at rea-
sonable prices with fresh and whole
some fruits and vegetables, an organ
ization is being formed. The farmers
deny that they intend to raise prices
to consumers but insist that they will
reduce prices to that class, and that
their chief aim is to equalize profits.
For the purpose OF formulating
plans for the organization, a we'll at
tended meeting by farmers was held at
Bountiful Saturday night At this
meeting It was recided TO incorporate
under the name Of the Gardeners Pro-
duce association. the object of which
will be to open a market at a con-
venient place In Salt Lake from which
produce will be sold direct to con-
sumers. While the movement Is being
promoted in Davis county, all farmers
who haul produce to Salt Lake will be
invited to join in the enterprise.
VIII Incorporate.
At the meeting at Bountiful Saturday
night the following committee was ap-
pointed to draw up articles of incor-
poration and to report the result OF
their work at a general meeting to be
held a week later. when 1t is expected
the undertaking will be completed; A.
Grant, David Z. Smith. Levi Muir,
Ephraim Briggs. Ralph Ashley, Hyrum
Wiseman and John T. Williams.