The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-06-21
WOULD CURB PRO-
DUC[ TRUST
Plan to Place Western Ave.
Houses on Public Ser
vice Basis.

Seattle Hotel Keepers association
against the Western Avenue Produce
dealers. From the exposes which
have recently been made it would
seem that Western avenue commits
sion houses have made it practice
to charge the Seattle restaurants. ho-
tells and stores prices ranging from
80 to 60 per cent higher than the
same produce is retailed for in Ia
coma, Portland, San Francisco or
other big coast cities. The same in
vestigations point out the fact that
the Seattle commission houses pay
the minimum price to the growers,
making big profit on both the buy
ing and the selling ends. Inasmuch
as large percentage of the soft
fruits of this valley is handled by
the Seattle commission houses the
people of this valley are very much
interested in the methods which are
being devised to curb this big trust.
From the investigations it is positive
that all the big Western avenue COM
mission houses are in a trust combine
and that they absolutely fix both the
buying and the selling prices.
State Representative w. G.. Norris,
Of King county, has a remedy for
this and he says:
''The remedy is very simple. Un-
der existing conditions, the Western
avenue commission merchants have
are able to fix prices, both to the
producer and consumer, and prevent
competition IF retail merchant
should attempt to buy farm products
direct from the producer, or should
attempt to place his business on a
competitive basis by price cutting, he
is blacklisted by the trust, and finds
that he is unable to buy stock at any
price.
Gives Key to Situation.
"Here is the key to the entire sit
uation: The enactment Of a law,
which, in effect, would place the
wholesale houses On the same basis
as a public service corporation, and
require them to post their prices
daily, the same as railroad tariffs,
and make it prima facie evidence of
conspiracy in restraint Of trade to re-
fuse to sell to any retailer rendering
the money for the goods which he
orders, would have the effect of
breaking the trust This law should
provide such punishment as to make
it's violation absolutely impossible.
with such law in full force and
effect, it would be possible for re-
tail merchant to buy great deal of
his produce direct from the farmers,
without being blacklisted by the
trust, and it would also bring about
competition, as merchants would
then be able to sell their goods at
smaller profit, relying upon larger
sales to increase the volume of bust
ness.
"It would also take out of the
market weekly hundreds of carloads
of California products grown by Or
ientals and open the market for
Washington grown products, which
are now excluded, thus saving to
our own state hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually that now go
to the Oriental growers in the Sac
ramento Valley and elsewhere.
cit has been reported at various
times that commission houses have
thrown away carloads of produce, in
order to maintain the high prices.
and whenever an increase is desired,
a shortage is declared Of the pro-
ducts. Personally, know Of large
number of instances where Western
avenue merchants have declared a
shortage of certain farm products,
when the farmers adjacent to Seat
tie have found it almost impossible
to sell their products to the commits
sion men, and since the blacklisting
arrangements was adopted by the
trust, retail merchants have not
dared to buy their goods direct from
the producer.
Fl am thoroughly convinced that
the enactment of a law which will
prevent blacklisting by the trusts.
which will require them to post their
prices, will have the effect of reduc-
ing the cost of living to the consum-
err, and will also increase the reven-
ues for our farmers.
II am also fully aware that the
local food trusts will make des-
perate fight against such legislation
but 1 believe it is time radical steps
were taken to prevent this double
steal, which is so strongly felt by
both the producer and consumer"