The Washington times., 1913-12-31
SUCCESS IN MARKET
REQUIRES VIGILANCE

TOLEDO, Ohio Dec. 31.-Efforts of
| the ciubwomen of Toledo. Ohio, to re-
dnce the cost of living in this city is
| discussed by Henry w. Hyde. Mr..
Hyde says that on demand of these
| women a big central municipal market
was built N Toledo and opened in
June, 1911 1t contains 215 stalls, which
are rented at from So to $50 year.
Retail grocers and market men tried
to get them, but the preference was
given to farmers and market gardeners.
For the first year the success of the
market house seemed complete. Thou
sands of women visited the market
| every morning and the prices of vege-
tables ard other food supplies dropped.
, while the quality improved.
But retail dealers and produce COM
mission men presently found their
business seriously damaged and deter
mined on retaliatory measures. The
commission men especially made a hard
fight on the city market.
Their most successful method was to
send out buycrs who met the wagons
driving in to the market house and
bought the entire load. Then, instead
of going on to occupy his stall and sell
his produce to the housewife, the mark
ct gardener would drive to a waiting
freight car and unload for shipment TO
| some outside city.
Fight On Market. -.
In this and in other ways fight was
made which badly interfered with the
usefulness OF the rev market house.
Some of the stalls were rented and paid
for, but not occupied. Contracts were
made with producers by the commission
men to take their entire crops for the
season off their hands at good prices.
Nothing was left unGone to make the
municipal market & failure.
Meanwhile the organized women OF
the city were also busy. The various
clubs were united in the Housewives
League and this city was asked to pro-
vide place for 4 market under its ex-
elusive direction. The city admins
uaticn turned over TO the women an
old hay and corn market.
The old buildings and stalls were
cleaned and painted, and the House
wives League made strict rules cover
ing their use. No one who did not act
ually raise the produce offered for sale
was allowed to occupy space; commits
sion nerr and hucksters were rigidIy
barred under pain of arrest. and police
were stationed about the square TO see
that these rules were enforced.
No charge was made for the use of
the stalls by farmers and other actual
producers, and a committee of women
was constantly on hand to Keep things
running smoothly.
From the start the new enterprise Of
the Toldeo women was successful. The
prices of all sorts of produce. cgSs, but
ter and poultry, dropped, and il was al
ways easy to fill the market basket
with freshly gathered vegetables and
other food products of the highest quail
lty.
More Markets Planned.
Encouraged by their success. the
Housewives League is now planning
the erection Of four new municipal
market houses, one in each Of the four
quarters of the cig. Such plan has
been laid before the city council. AS a
new city administration comes into
power OF January !, nothing definite
will be done until after the first OF the
year. But the women are determined
and are hopeful that at least a start
may be made the coming spring.
The experience of Toledo seems to
prove that it is by no means sufficient
to b6ild a municipal market house and
setHe down in the conviction that it
will solve the problem. There will al
ways be important and influential bust
ness interests which will be damaged
by the opening of municipal markets,
and who will do all they can to inter-
fere with its success.
To make a municipal market n per-
manent success on a large scale, not
only suitable buildings are required.
but II IL essential that proper leGisa-
tion be passed, and the laws strictly
and impartially enforced.