Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-09
Profit From Direct Selling

lhautuuoh az id noUn 20 DC ehtuhilhh-
cd IN Albuquerque The article by
Mr. Alvin In part follows.
OF what value 10 the farmer Is the
city market IN whiUh ho can sell his
products directly to the consumers2
This is the real test of the movement
for the municipal or cooperative
markets now under way IN dozen
cities and a score OF states II must
be borne In mind that a market is not
single matinee or "a cost sale Of "A
few carloads on vegetables or hum
dred turkeys. A market is hcal
ousiom-the gettlus of people IN
large numbers TO visit certain place
regularly, 80 that there viii be enough
buyers TO make profitable the pres
cnce Of the sellers
Well meaning mayors and others ia
the western cities, who bought whole
sale IN low markets at distant points
and sold at cost plus expenses. simply
gave sensational exhibitions Of what
every one knew--that the consumer
had been paying too great an advance
on the original cost OF the article.
Their work viii. however, be futile
unless they follow lt up with some
! permanent plan by which those who
raise the potatoes ana the turkeys are
enabled TO deal more directly with
the consumers Another city had the
farmers come To great open space
and sell their products. II was
good ouo-day show, but IL was just
the sort Of thing that might be dis
| astrous 70 the farmer because It might
glut the market and compel him to
sell az loss These passing per-
fCrmances--someti mes engineered by
, MISUNDERSTANDING are attractive
/ because they appeal to the general
/ love OF novelty. They make good
headlines for tho newspapers In search
/ OF the unusual. but thcy are not al
ways best for the farmers whose safe
/ Is depends upon q regular market and
upon getting some profit cut Of what
they raise
What, then. is there IN the belief
now so prevalent that by bringing the
/ farmers and the consumers together
week after week the farmers will get
more for their crops and the latter
/ VIII pay less for their food? Can the
farmers make enough extra profit TO
cover the expense Of going TO market
/ ana the wages of those who must be
attending 10 the farm while they are
absent2 In the last analysis Il Is the
problem Of the whether or
not they can afford 20 go 10 market,
and II so, how they can manage best.
4 Thousand Farmers Ia Market.
| In five or more American cities
there are markets where farmers may
sell :helr products. The largest OF
these Is Baltimoe. and Il is the only
one where all the markets are owned
by the city and where the policy for
"A century and half has been that
! the farmer should be allowed 10 drive
in and sell his products from his wag-
on. Baltimore has grown GO a cts
with a population approaching 100000
ana Il nov has eleven markets scrv-
ing different secttons. To these on
specified days a thousand farmers
send their wagons, six hundred going
to Lexington, which Is called the
largest OF American markets.
/ The Lexington market runs through
three city blocks IN three huge, ugly
squat sheds. A great aisle along
which are meat stalls Is IN the center
and az each side rs narrow aisle
lined with stalls devoted TO all kinds
of products. From the shed 20 the
curb OF the pavement Is a space OF
thirty feet and here the farmers wag-
ons are accommodated. There BE- a
fee OF ten cents every day they are
preHent--a tax levied for cleaning tho
market. but in order t. hold the same
place the farmer also pays a
3 city license OF five dollars q
year. which entities him 20 that
particular bart II the curb ftr market
purposes. He controls is value. so
that n he has a desirable t,cui"n he
may sell out for one or two hundred
dollars OF even more. lie Is permitted
10 send his nClghbor to occupy his
space II Il De unoccupied on cer-
tain day "a farmer coming Ia may be
assigned 10 II for that day only with-
out charge. the only condition being
his word that AN the produce he has
for sale Is from his own farm. This
point Is not pressed, however, since
y the farmer has brought more in his
load than he has raised he is no more
guilty than many others
Many farmers have telephones ane
Keep in touch with conditions and
prices They read the papers and load
their wagons according 20 the market
reports Tho wife and the daughter
often take tho wagon 10 market leoV-
ing the men 90 do the farm work.
Sometimes the whole family has @
day In the city. Though they work
hard they enjoy life, have good schools
and churches take part In politics
and are kindly and hospitable. II a
small farmer aud his family are ill
his ncighbors take his products -
market and sell them for him without
charging the usual percentage. The
city Is surrounded hy a fertile coun-
try, Baltimore. Anne Arundel and
Hartford ruuaug high among the
counties OF tho United states In the
production 90. truck. The market
farmers raise and sell fruit, vego-
tables, dairy products, poultry, but
sor, eggs game. nuts and the sundrics
OF the farm and truck patch.
Farmers come 10 the markets. from
as far as twenty 1--WE miles. but nine
tcnths of them are within "a radius Of
fifteen miles of the city. Tha usual
vehicles are tNo-horse wagons, many
with glass doors In front, aud well
closed Tor plotection against cold
when the horses arrive al the mar