The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-16
Municipal Market Does Away With
Middleman's Profit and Saves
the Housewife Many
Dollars.
: THE PLAN IN DENVER
One Dollar Per Week Can BE Saved
at the Very Least for Each
Patron Of the
Market.

Pdtron OF the
Market.
DENVER, June 16.-Countless mil |
lions of dollars would be saved to the
housewives of America If municipal
governments throughout the United
States instituted system of munich
pally owned neighborhood markets
similar to that which Denver Will es-
tablish this summer according to DR..
James M. Perkins, new commissioner
OF social welfare, and in charge Of
city markets. Through the establish
ment Of the markets, DR.. Perkins says
the high cost Of living will be cut 90
per cent and the yoke of the middle
man" will be thrown off completely.
In statement made to the United
Press today DR.. Perkins explains the
plan which is expected to save Den.
yer housewives s1,500,000 to s3,3OO0,.
600 annually. He believes the story
of what Denver is about to do for its
housewives is of deepest interest to
every housewife in the United States.
by DR.. James NJ. Perkins, commits
sioner Of social welfare of Denver,
written for the United Press.1
Denver needs series of municipal
markets to reduce the high cost of
living. Denver will have these mar
kets this summer and Denver house.
wives are certain to find in them
great relief from the oppression OF
the middleman. In Los Angeles, the
success of city owned markets was
immediate. Denver. profiting by the
example of Los Angeles, will throw
I off the bondage Of the middleman.
| To accomplish this / intend to es.
/ tablish five branch markets patterned
| after the large central market already
owned and conducted by the city
This central market was established
years ago. 1t has proven big sue
cess. But the city has grown great,
since this central market was started
and branch markets in the Residential
sections OF the city and in the sub
urbs are a real necessity.
The two fold problem OF every
housewife from California to Connec
ticut and from Montana to Missis
sissippi is how to get fresh vegetables
4 at less cost. The community market
will make this possible. 1 know this
from personal observation and exper
/ fence.
When / lived in South Denver some
member of my household made q
1 three-mile trip three times week to
the downtown market to evade the
middleman and buy the fresh vege
tables direct from the man who grew
them. After made the trip severa
times l realized the great advantage
in getting vegetables, fruit, produce
the refrigerating process of the
wholesale house. Hundreds of people
go Just as far or farther. If hundreds
do this, it will pay to establish such
markets where all can trade within
reasonable distance from their homes
| OF course, the middleman is 9
necessity in certain instances, but no
where truck gardeners are in posi-
ton and willing to drive to town an6
deal direct with the people. The op
| portunity to buy direct from the pro
Queer would be welcomed by every
i family II 1t were not for distances
from their homes to the markets.
will advocate the purchase of five
city blocks for the establishment o.
a market In the north, east, south ant
west sections of the city and one II
| the suburbs.
Every one Of the hundred or more
stalls In the present market Is rented
for small fee that defrays the up
keep This small fee permits the pro
I Queer to sell at price low enough
4 to save every customer from twent.
to forty per cent The cost of tn,
Il erection OF these stalls to the cit,
will be mere trifle compared to tn,
great good that will be derived b.
the majority.
Another great advantage will b
that such system of markets wher
producer sells direct to the buyer will
knock the very stuffing out of tn
food trust. Instances OF fruit All
vegetables spelling because commits
sion men refused to overstock tn
market by selling at lower prices ar
known in every city.
I have interviewed innumerable pre-
duce farmers as to their opinion @
the plan and not one but who ha
praised 1t highly and promised to Ell
gage a STALL All declare the middle
man is as much an enemy of tn
farmer as he is the enemy of tn
buying public.
Now to measure the saving sue