The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-18
MAKES WAR ON
THE MIDDLEMEN
Mayor Shank Of indianapolis Dis
cusses Way to Lower
Cost Of Living
MUNICIPAL PURCHASING AGENT
Consumer and Producer Must Be
Brought Together
Man Who Sold Potstoes at One. Third
Market Price Tells Farmer How
To Reduce Prices.

Albany, y. Y, January 1S.-Sanue
Lewis Shank, Mayor Of indianapolis
who has gained fame by his personal
ly conducted cut-priee sales of po-
tatoes, poultry. mincc-meat and wal
nuts, in the public market at Indiana
polls as war on the middle man.
delivered an address here last night be.
fore New York Agricultural society
The only solution of the higher cost
of-lving problem. he said. was to bring
together the producer and the con-
sumer. He had satisfied himself and
the people Of indianapolis. that his
municipal purchase and sales agent"
idea. when put into operation. was ef-
fcctive in reducing artificially inflated
prices of foodstums.
Under modern commercial methods
and the development of several grades
of middlemen." said MIR. Shank. the
law of supply and demand. so far as
more or less a dead letter. The con-
sumer in large cities finds that large
crops of fruits and vegetables mean
little or nothing TO him. He used to
cheer up when he read of big apple
crops, big peach crops. big potato or
cabbage crops for he knew these pros
ducts would be cheap. Now news of
this kind is received with derision.
ITO my mind the greatest gift that
can come To the American people Is
some permanent plan whereby the con-
sumner can be brought into closer touch
with the producer. When this is done
lower prices OF food products will pre-
vall. In my own way am trying to
bring about this condition of affairs.
] do not assert my plan is the best or
that 1t will be successful everywhere
but one thing do know and that
is that lower prices now prevail in my
home town. presume practically all
of YOU are familiar with my efforts
in Indianapolis In nutshell my plan
is to buy from the producer and sell
direct to the consumer.
His Own Novel Method.
For a long time the high cost of liv-
Ing has been discussed by the rich and
poor alike. Many theories have been
advanced and many plans suggested
out no practical steps taken. Along
about the middle of September last
The thought occurred to me that IL
was time to do something. on Sep
.ember % | found Indianapolis com
mission men were paying si,05 a bushel
'or potatoes which. according to the
market quotations. cost the consumer
rom $3.50 to $500 a bushel This de-
,pite the fact that the crop appeared
% be about as large as usual
Word reached me TO the effect tina
n Michigan the best grades Of potatoes
'ould be bought at 40 cents bushel.
sent u man into the field and two
lays later he wired me he could buy in
,ar load lots at 50 cents "A bushel T. |
J. b. indianapolis. | instructed him |
O buy and two days later the first car
lrrived OF course efforts were made |
o discredit the value OF the stock but |
he consumers were anxious TO buy. |
placed the potatoes on sale in the city |
anu Nilfliu a. ouDaA AiiiN tht
ar had been sold at the rate of as !
ents a bushel Where delivery was |
equired | charged 50 cents. conduct |
d this sale myself and during the time
was In progress regular delaerS !
Iropped their price to $i.40 a bushel.
Municipal Buying Agent.
Prices advanced as soon as my sup |
'ly had been exhausted. however. Up
o the present | have disposed Of 20 !
an loads and have the satisfaction cf
eeing prices reach point near their
atural level. on November 10. 1911 |
otatoes were retailing at 81 a bushel |
nd this price or very near IL pre-
ails at present
Temporarily I have abandoned the |
otato business because of a lack of
ABILITIES for handling the vegetable
. freezing weather. / have not been
lie, however, for | have disposed of
of turkeys and chickens and
ons of nuts and mince-meat at prices
Glow those charged by the regular
callers. thus demonstrating that the
ifference between the producer and
onsumer Is entirely too great
II am a firm believer in the muni-
ipal purchasing agent idea. Place
nan In the markets of the various
tiles whose duty IL will be to see that
he markets is supplied with all COM
oddities at all times and | believe
teady prices will prevail. AS yet we
ave no municipal purchasing agent in
but hope to have one
oon. An ordinance providing for one
pending in the city council and /
ope IL will pass. I have n man in
~ employ however, who is looking
fter this matter and all he lacks Is
ne title"