Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-16
COUNTLESS MILLIONS
COULD Be SAVED
Municipality Owned Markets Would Be
Great Thing for America, Says
Denver Man.
HE INTENDS TO ESTABLISH
SERIES OF MARKETS SOON
Is Unnecessary to Have Middlemen,
Except in Some Few Instances Of
Business.
UNITED plnss InAsnp wIRn.l

Of dollars would be saved to the house
wives of America if municipal govern
ments throughout the United States in
stituted system Of municipality owned
neighborhod markets similar to that
which Denver will establish this sum
mer, according to DR.. James M. Perkins,
new commissioner Of social welfare, and
in charge of city markets. Through
the establishment of the markets, DR..
Perkins says the high cost of living
will be cut 20 per cent and the "yoke
Of the mddleman" will be thrown off
completely In a statement made to
the United Press today DR.. Perkins
explains the plan which is expected to
save Denver housewives from 81 100000
to $3,0O0,O00 annually. He believes the
story of what Denver is about to do
for its housewives is of deepest in
terest to every housewife in the United
States. DR.. Perkins says:
"Deuver needs a series of municipal
markets to reduce the high cost of liv-
ing. Denver will have these markets
this summer and Denver housewives
are certain to find in them great re-
lief from the oppression Of the mid
dleman In Los Angeles, the success
of city owned markets was immediate.
Denver, profiting by the example Of
Los Angeles, will throw off the bond
age 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 success. But
the city has grown greatly since this
central market was started and branch
markets in the residential sections of
the city and in the suburbs are a real
necessity.
"The two fold problem Of every
housewife from California to Connecti
cut and from Montana to Mississippi
is how to get fresh vegetables at less
cost. The community market will make
this possible. / know this from per
sonal observation and experience.
"When | lived in South Denver
some member of my household made q
threemile trip three times a week tC
the downtown market to evade the
middleman and buy the fresh vegetable,
direct from the man who grew them
Aftor | made the trip several times
/ realized the great advantage in get
ting vegetables, fruit, produce ant
poultry before it had undergone tn,
refrigerating process Of the wholesal,
house, Hundreds of people 60 JUS
as far or father, If hundreds do this
it will pay to establish such markets
whore all can trade within reasonabl,
distance from their homes.
"0f course the middleman is ne
cessity in certain instances, but no
whore truck gardeners are in posi-
tion and willing to drive to town an,
deal direct with the people The op
portunity to buy direct from the pro
ducer would be welcomed by ever,
family if it were not for distance
from their homes to the markets.
will advocate the purchase Of five cit,
blocks for the establishment Of mar
kot in the north, east, south aud ives
sections Of the city and one in tn
suburbs
" Every one of the hundred or NOR
stalls in the present market is rcntc,
for small fec that dcfrays the up
keep. This small fee permits the pro
ducer to sell at a price low onougl
to save every customer from tweut,
to forty per cent, The cost of tho cree
tion of these stalls to the city will b,
n mere trifle compared to the grca
good that win be derived by the major
ity
Another great advantage will h
that such system Of markets whcr
producer sells direct to the buyer will
knock the very stuffig out Of the foo,
trust, Instances OF fruit and yeget
ables spelling because commission mel
refused to overtock tho market b,
selling at lower prices are known II
every city
"I have interviewed innumerabl
produce farmers as to their opinion
of the plan and not ono but who ha
praised II highly and promised to en-
gage stan, All declare the middle
mun is as much an enemy of the farm
ser as he is the oncmy Of the buyin
public
Now to measure the saving sue
markets viii be TO the houscholdc
In dollars and cents At very 10,
estimate, 10000 housewives will trad
mt the municipal neighborhood markets
Every one Of these housewives win
able To save at the very least, one do
lar every week--which means total o
100000 saved each week, or 81 10000
saved to 10000 housewives in on
years time, This is a very consorvI
tive estimate. The figure might b