The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-24
WOES OF THE COAST GUOCEUS
RETAILERS CAN'T SEEN To no
BUSINESS At 4 PROFIT.
They want Manufacturers 10 Help Them
stop Foolish Price cutting by fixing
Retail Price Tor STANDARD Goods
Grocer Delega ton Herr On q visit.

Nelau Fftee Tor Nlundhfu nooul
-Gr0cer Delegation Herr On q visit.
Our on me Pacific coast the retail grocel
has a hard time 90 make living He can
not fall back on the sale 81 meats and
fruits and green things a. do most Of his
fellow tradesuen in the Fast To gel
along he has 90 RELY on a side line. like
bottled wines and liquors, though tea
and coffee help some
All this Is upon the authority Of Frank
b Connolly. who h. a director Of the
National Association Of GroCcrs and II
here on a tourwith party Of other grooers
and their wives OF daughters. all II whom
attended ths recent meeting Of tho Ma
tiOnal Association AZ Springfield. m
IN the number az the Imperial ara Ellis
klgore. president Of the California Stats
Association. who lives in Sacramento
and who b accompanied by his daughter;
n A Perry of Portland. Ore. president
OF the Oregon state Association, and Mira.
Perry. and John y schooner, president
OF the San Francisco Association, and his
wife Resides there is Joseph A. Smlz
Of san Francisco who IL cousin Of Her
man Ridder and who IL stopping a. tho
lAtters house
From his card Mr.. Connolly must be
q sOrtof active spirit In tho grocery world
out there He IL secretary of both the
California and the san Francisco organiza-
tons, president 81 the GroCeTs Club and
Of his grocery company. and in add
ton edits and manages the Retail Groeers
Advocate. The party has been making
an extensive tour ever since the Spring
Geld festivities. being entertained in
various cities by manufacturers Of yeast.
or catsup. or pickles or other proprietary
articles usually carried In a well regulated
grocery store and they have had sut0mO-
biles. sightsssinR and otherwise. al their
disposal everywhere. They spent sun
day at Coney Island, having previously
visited Atlantic City.
In Washington the other day they were
presented 10 the President. and they also
had an audience with Secretary Of Agri-
culture Wilson. They will devote ten
days 70 New York and will then start for
home by way Of Boston.
we had a talk with Secretary Wilson
about the high cost Of living said Mr..
Connolly. during which we showed
him that the grocers Of the country had
nothing to do with the cause. that 40
cording 70 Brdds,rset's rs per cent. Of
them fail in ten wears and that the grocer
sells stable goods at loss. The Secretary
had figures which show that the retail
butcher Makes 81 per cent. net. Why.
on butter. sugar. eggs -four and packing
house products that we handle it costs
"a ~ per cent Of the sales to handle them.
We never make more than 10 or n per
cent. on the cost, 40 that Ia such things
we have a good sized loss. Then upon
bottled and canued groceries it Is the
same way. We buy things and sell them
az an advance Of only cent, which means
q loss % course II Is reckless com
Position that has brought about this
state Of things. IL IA the fault Of the man
who goes into business to-day and busts
tomorrow
Tbs remedy could not come from a
combination Oi grOCeTs. a. that would
be- a violation Of the sherman antitrust
law. But what We are after is that the
manufacturer who sells should put a
retail price upon his product, a prioe
thar will allow a small hut fair profit
for the grocer. The fact that there has
been 80 much undertaking aud close
selling has hrou ght into being what we
call the Pacific coast plan which seeks "a |
have companies who manufacture FIX |
this price. The retailers out there have |
been looking about FOR new goods that |
will satisfy old standards. They will |
push a new article that will give them
profit where they will not sell an obi |
one. There - one manufacturing com
pany out there that thus protests the |
retailer and Il "a doing a big business |
In fact % Is driving otit every other ia |
that line on the coast. Several manu- |
iacturers are starting In 20 do this
1t i easy enough Tor the farmers % get |
up combinations. They got an amend |
ment passed a couple d years ago 20 the |
Cartwright hill. which IL our local anti |
trust law. excepting hOrticllturista, aRri- |
culturists and vitaculturists and labor |
unions from its provisions. In Ventura /
county the farmers put up the price % |
crops. Then the raisln growers Of Fresno |
county season before last got together |
and demanded four cents a pound for |
raisins in the sweat box. where they |
had only been getting two. The result /
was that the New York iObbers refused /
~ buy and got their supply from Spain. /
The Fresno people had 10 hold their 4
crop over for year and then had ~ be-
seech everybody 20 eat raisins for a day /
10 get rid ~ some 81 their surplus
The farmers - Oregon and Washing
ton still have ~ per cent Of their blue
stem wheat In their harms. holding IL for a
higher prioe. We don't want 90 organize
any trust. What We think will relieve
the situation for tho retail grocer ia for
the manufacturer Of condensed milk
OF sauce, or caGsup. or any other staple
article, % iiN a retail price az which II ia To
~ anld