The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-09-12

that to humbug my wife! Honor
among husbands! Don't give me
away!"
TO REDUCE THE COST OF LIVING.
A Washington dispatch states that
officials of the department of agricul-
ture have been giving attention to the
plan adopted in Des Moines of having
several public market days each
week, thus bringing together the farm
er who grows vegetables and other
forms of green food and the city con-
sumers Of that food and shutting out
the middleman with his profits.
While the officials have not reached
definite conclusions with regard to
all the cities of the country, it Is said
they are agreed that it is plan
which will work satisfactorily in
cities not much larger than Des
Moines Whether. however, it will
be adaptable to the larger centers of
population is another question and one
to which department experts are CIV
| ing attention.
In the larger cities much of the
daily marketing is done by telephone
with great saving of time and an
noyance of various kinds. In the
smaller cities the telephone is only
occasionally used for this purpose 1t
is question, department experts be-
lieve, whether the city housewife
would be willing to do her marketing
In person, even If assured of some
saving. She would still prefer to use
the telephone, perhaps, and If this
should prove the case the Des Moines
market plan would not work well in
cities considerably larger than that
place.
| While there is this question among
| department experts there is no ques-
ton among them, from Secretary Will
son down the line, that the high cost
of living, SO far as green foods are
concerned, is due almost entirely to
the middleman-the commission mer-
chant-through whose hands all veget-
ables reach the ultimate consumer. 1t
isn't the tariff, it isn't the money
trust it isn't any one Of score Of
other causes sometimes named, but
it is the commission merchants, 1t is
contended by the department of ag-
lriculture
In Europe the high cost Of living is
attributed to the heavy production of
gold Over there it is said that the
oporraour a,,tru+ ~ Gala II ro,ar.
years has upset the balance of prices
and that the world has not yet shaken
itself down to a true adjustment.
Statistics show that in England, on
1 the continent and IN North America
nearly all the commoner and more
4 necessary articles Of food have been
steadily rising in price since the cen
tury opened. Meat, especially bacon
in England the poor mans favorite
food, milk, bread and sugar all cost
more. i is calculated that there is Z
10 per cent increase in the week.,
budget OF household expenses in Eng
land.
Secretary Wilson IN his annual re
ports has on two occasions called al
tention to the toll levied By commits
zion merchants IN all the cities Of tbs
country and proposed that congress-
Investigate this question. He hal
called attention 70 the discrepancy be
tween the prices received By the farm
er for mis- goods and the price paid foi
those goods By the city consumer, ant
II IS understood that he viii, after th'
President and cabinet return to Wash
iugton. lar the subject before the ad
nipistration, with view To invitin:
discussion and PERHAPS obtainini
some Hind Of recommendation 10 con
gress 81 the President
II IL satd Fl agricultural department
headquarters that in most cases n
farmer who grows the food stafs doe
/ not recei7e from Abe commission uei
] chant more than ope-ffth The amour
! the consumers are compelled 70 pa
; secretary Wilson sayg that 81 I'll ID
large cities ~ TIE country # viii b
. easily possi5le fer tire people 70 ban
q together and gend Hsgons into th
Y country 10 gather ~ produce of a
o kinds. This WCdrce, he thinks. conf
be sold IT retail for 2 small PORTO
d Of the amount nov asked FOR Il sfte
1t the middle man has taken out HI
n large profit.
Re Secretary Wilson belieYea. also. I'M
n an adequate parcels part woesd grea
y ~ help the situation by bringing II
IL producer and the consumer lnto cl0ss
touch, thus obyiatng ri o1ly z