New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-04
REAL FARMERS SHY
AT new MARKETS
Truck Growers See Ex-
ira COst-Won't Quit
JObberS and Dealers.

/ The reluctance of farmers to bring
/ their produce to the neY open city mar
! kets has given the huckster an oppor-
/ tunity of which he was not slow to take
advantage. The four markets were
crowded with buyers yesterday, but
genuine farmers were few. The market
at the Fort Lee Ferry extended its
lines; there were dozeps more wagons
and pushcarts than on my previous day
and hundreds more purchasers.
Only two farmers" showed up, how
ever. One of them was found to be
huckster who had rented an empty
wagon bearing a farmers name for IS,
loaded it up with vegetables Of some
what inferior quality at the Gansevoort
Market and sold them in short order as
"fresh from the farm"
Commissioner Goldwater of the De-
partment of Health will send inspectors
/ to the new markets to-day. Such action
is customary, but in the present IN
stance was somewhat fastened by the
Tumors of inferior goods on sale. Jesse
Wineburgh, of the open market com
mittee, left last night to spend several
days sounding Long Island farmers for
their opinion of the new markets. Six
farmers called on Borough President
Marks and promised to bring loads to
the new markets.
Mrs. Julian Heath, of the Mayors
food supply committee, found another
brand of farmer" on her rounds yes
terday. Although he was selling vege-
tables as a farmer, and at first protest
ed that he had raised them himself, he
finally admitted that he was a dealer
and had visited several New Jersey
farms the preceding night to collect his
load.
Commissioner Hartigan obtained from
several farmers yesterd'v the reason
for their reluctance to pI, their goods
on sale in a free market crowded with
buyers They agreed that besides the
additional time they would have to give
to sell at retail their expenses would be
% per cent greater because Of the hlrs
ing of extra assistants to do the in
creased handling. They doubted if the
RENTED fees and the possible higher
prices would make up this deficiency.
A Long Island farmer who sells his
produce at the old Harlem Market esti-
mated his expenses there as follows:
Market Association dues, 500 year;
stand, 10 cents a day; stabllng team,
81 IS a day; caring for horse blankets,
% cents a day; board and lodging for
one man, 81 so a day; extra boy, 81
day; helper, 81 25 day; College Point
Ferry, 81 10 day; Waterman, 0. cents
day; total, about SO day:
/ Most of these expenses he would stlli
have in the open markets, he said, and
the paw of an extra helper besides. he
got SIS on an average for Dutch" Tor
/ mixed) load of produce, he said, and, II
/ he was lucky, cleared about $40,
I That the new markets have their
place if the farmers can be prevailed
! upon to use them is shown not only by
! the crowds but by the general decrease
in the price of vegetables, which was
noticeable throughout the city yester-
day.
Through the efforts of Commissioners
Hartigan thirty trucks are avail
able for Borough President Marks if he
decides to permit a delivery system in
the open markets. Ten truckmen with
three trucks each that are now idle
have offered to make deliveries in Man
haitian and The Bronx for from to
10 cents a package, depending on the
size.
Flour advanced yesterday 10 cents a
barrel. There were many requests by
European nations for quotations. A
manufacturer of buckwheat flour from
an upstate town complained 20 Com
missioner HartiGan yesterday that he
was unable to obtain single pound of
the wheat -four that he mixes with his
buckwheat. The Minneapolis firm from
which he had bought for years, he said,
had sold its entire output in Canada
for expectation to England. Commits
,sioner Hartigan put him in touch with
Kansas millers who were glad to have
his order.
The Retail Grocers' Association, with
$500 members, has informed Commits
sioner Hartigan that by contracting for
5000 barrels they can obtain -four from
a Philadelphia firm for 81 less barrel