The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-15

& Co. As to the goods put out by
these dealers. II is plain the retailer
cannot regulate prices.
Fixed by Circumstances
Then in the second class we find
goods that are manufactured east and
shipped into Salt Lake from Missouri
river points, the wholesale price of
which is so regulated by the manufac-
turer that the retail dealer can sell
only at a stated increase over the
wholesale price; that is, the retail price
is fixed by force of circumstances. A
package article that is sold to the re-
tail dealer at 16 cents must be retailed
at 20 cents. Such an article sold to the
retail dealer at 20 cents must be sold
at % cents and so on. Practically all
OF the food stuffs put up in packages
are sold to the dealer under these cir
cumstances. In selling this class OF
goods the retailer has very little chance
to fix his selling price, that having
been considered and fixed for him by
The manufacturer. Instances of this
class of goods are as follows:
Pulled Rice-wholesale. So per case of
3 dozen packages; retail, 10c per package.
Quaker Oats-Wholesale, $3.50 per case
OF dozen packages; retail. 15c each or
for DC.
Grape Nuts-whoIesale, $40 per case of
dozen packages: retail: 15c per package:
Pearline-Wholesale S3.75 per case of 100
packages; retail. &c per package.
Crystal White Soap-Wholesale, 81 per
case of 100 bars; RETAIL &c per cake.
All standard yellow soaps-Wholesale
50. 80 per case of 100 bars; retail SC per
cake.
Curtis Bros Jams-wholesale, $3.50 per
case Of dozen cans; retail, 15c per tin.
Products of Utah Farms.
In the third class we find the prod
ucts of the Utah farms, that is. fruit
of all kinds, vegeta bles, potatoes. poul-
try and eggs. As to these articles, the
retail dealers do have an opportunity
TO regulate prices and it is as to the
high ;.rice of these commodities that
there mas recently been the most COM
plant. This merchandise is brought in
to the city daily through the summer
season by farmers who come from
radius of twenty miles around About
150 wagon lOads and sometimes as high
as 200 wagon loads per day for three
months in the year are hauled into this
city and sold out on the street.
THE produce so brought into the
city and sold amounts at wholesale
price to not less than half a million
dollars a year. No provision whatever
is made by the city for a place in which
wagons shall stand while the produce
is being sold. The result is that they
stand with the rear wheels in the gut
ter along the side of the street on West
First South and the time during which
persons can buy is limited to the hours
from 1 a. m. to about a. M. so that
the householder who desires TO pur-
chase direct from the farmer has prac-
tically no opportunity to do so.
Farmers Market Suggested.
The peddlers' license now imposed by
the city upon persons who are permit
ted to peddle produce through the res
idence part of the city in wagons is So
per quarter or $50 per year. and we
think that this license should not be
lowered but the city authorities should
at an early date make some provision
for a farmers market. About half a
block should be set aside at some point
near the center of town, so that it is
accessible not only for merchants but
for housekeepers, who desire to go
there and buy direct from the farmers.
to which place the farmers should be
required TO take their produce when
they bring ii in the morning and where
if they are dissatisfied with the prices
offered by the dealers. they can re-
main throughout the day and sell out
to persons who come with baskets de-
string to buy simply for family use.
The city could set aside certain space
in this area to be identified by num-
bers, which space could be used by
farmer continuously, for which he
would be required by the city to pay a
reasonable amount and a certain nom
inal fee should be charged each wagon
load of produce that enters this mar
ket The funds derived from this
source would be necessary for main
tanning the market in a sanitary con-
dition. Farmers should not be allowed
TO sell elsewhere.
This plan is simply a return TO first
principles, for il brings the consumer
in direct contact with the producer.
With this market established the price
of goods in this class could not be reg
ulated by the dealer, because there
would always be open to the farmer
and consumer a way of getting togeth-
er If this market is not established,
then the peddlers' license should be re-
duced so that farmers as we'll as ped
dlers of produce can go from house to
house with their wagons. The market
master should be a deputy sealer of
weights and measures and should be
required to be on hand during business
hours prepared to weigh or measure
any commodity at the request of any
customer.
Gratuitous Explanation.
1.-The cost of conducting a grocery
store in Salt Lake City has been high
the last two or three years. Times
have been good and wages high. In
the fall of 1907 competent grocery
clerks were getting % ner cent more
wages than two years before. Rents
have been steadily advancing. The cost
of delivery is high. This cost runs
from 4 TO II per cent of the gross re-
ceipts of the store. The average is
probably 8 per cent. That is. if your
store bill is $50 per month, $40 of that
amount is for having goods delivered.
While times are good, credit is good
and many people who have paid cash
all their lives have been running an
account. A weekly or monthly ac-
count for groceries is bound to run
higher than the cost Of groceries would
be if the housewife paid cash. When