Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-10-26
ADVISE AGAINST
RETAIL MARKET
Experts Engaged by City Plan
ming Commission Favor Whole
sale Auction Mart.
FIND PRESENT system
is DECIDED FAILURE
Fails to Reduce High Cost of
Living--Not Patronized
by Majority.

Expert advisers retained by the
City Plan Commission to study and
report on the city market problem
OF Newark insist that in n progress
sive city experience has proved that
the wholesale auction market is the
whole solution of the market problem,
which actually has a material effect
ON reducing the high cost of living.
Reports signed by George b. Ford
and T.. p. Goodrich, who were re-
tained to make an absolutely unprej-
udiced Investigation, have been made
public by the City Plan Commission.
In his report Mr.. Ford says:
Retail Markets Passing Out.
at can be proved by impartial in
%ycstigation that the city retail mar
ket is becoming Il thing of the past,
that practically nowhere in larger
cities are city retail markets increas-
ing in use in anything like the same
proportion as The population, and in
the larger cities their use is decreas-
ing very rapidly.
.'The chief argument in favor OF
a city retail market is thai 1t re-
euoes the cost of foodstuffs, that the
foods can be bought cheaper there,
and that the city market tends TO
keep down the price of food hrough-
out the private markets OF the city.
Our Investigations prove just the OPP
posite; not only are prices of foods
Of the samc quality fully as high in
The city retail markets as they are
- L.. -.s.~z -. a,aT1rotn ht.F tho tntnl
cost of living in Newark, due largely
10 the cost of food, is b per cent.
higher than il is in New York city.
This proves, if anything could, that
the city retail markets have had no
effect whatsoever in keeping down
the cost of food in Newark. Prices do
not level down. they level up.
Wholesale Market Only Relief.
IA Wholesale auction market, such
as we have suggested, would reduce
the cost of living for the whole popu-
lation of Newark and surrounding
towns In the ne~ighborhood of 10 to
Is per cent, first by eliminating a lot
Of Unnecessary charge for trucking,
second by eliminating a lot of high
cost of rent, and eliminating the large
loss in taxes, and by giving absolute
publicity TO the wholesale cost of
foods so that the public can protect
Its rights
Mr.. Goodrich says:
TN every city in which markets
exist they do have patronage, and
will doubtless continue to do so,
hut the simple fact of the existence
of any undertaking is no proof of
It's entire advisability. New markets
are being erected and new municipal
enterprises started in various Eng
lish and American cities, but inves-
~tigation shows that not so many
people now patronize markets in any
locality as formerly.
Some suggestions about ascertain
ing the public sentiment have been
made said the investigator, but it
would seem that such public senti-
ment could best be gagged by the
actual number of people who use the
market daily In comparison with the
total population Of Newark. The
actual number of people entering the
market during the whole week of DC
tober IA to 10 inclusive shows n
total average of only 21a per cent.
Of Newark's population per day max
Ing use of the market facilities Of
fered. 1t is probable that this per-
centage is higher than the average
throughout the year and will dimin-
lsh with lapse of time