Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-02
Produce Merchants,
Unable to Sell Over
+ Supply, Give Some Of
1t Away.
Tomatoes Dumped Into the
Delaware River Are a Total
Loss to tho Farmer and Mid
dleman-Growers Face Ruin.
LOWEST PRICES
IN MABkBr eLgT


.s-.aa..sii.s--aa.as.-a- -llaaa-.a-l
Produce merchants IN this city are giv.
ins away dumping IN the fiver Or sellihs
below cost large Quantities OF vegetables,
mostly tomatoes, which they are unable
to sell because OF tremendous oversup-
ply OF certain agricultural products.
Tomatoes. potatoes and cabhages are
being allowed to rot on the farms OF
pennsyivanla and New Jersey because the
farmers refuae 20 sell them at the prices
they are bringing.
Produce dealers here say that these con-
ditions nre unprecedented. Business IL at
standstill for many OF them; with
others profits have been reduced TO a
minimum
while householders are fnding the cost
OF living reduced through the cheapness
Of certain fruits and vegetables, hundreds
OF farmers are threatened with ruin be-
cause they are unable prohtably to dis
pose OF the products they raise. Farmers
and produce merchants say that not In
many years has business been 90 bad TOT
them.
Tbe farmers are victims OF good
weather. Climatic conditions favorable
70 farming have caused large crops THIS
year. ana as result the market is over
and vegetable.
The greatest trouble ls being experienced
IN getting rid of tomatoes. Large duanti-
ties are being given away.
DUMP TOMATOES IN RIVER.
saturday, when the Dock street COM
mission merchants ended their weeks
busIness. they emptied great quantities OF
tomatoes into the Delaware River. They
were a total loss to the farmer and the
nlddloman.
- ka
afe. or course, the heaviest losers. The
iobbers are finding their business almost
nj a atandstill and the huckstare and re-
tail dealers are making smaller pront
than IN other years
you see those tomatoes2" said s. II.
FIewett, of Hewett & Thompson, COM
mission merchants at 232 Dock street.
pointing to a pile OF hve-eighth bushel
baskets ,'Id take 8 cents a basket for
them and be glad 70 get rid OF them. II
can't sell them I'll have to eive them
Most OF tho fruit and vegetable deal
ers say that the demand for the foods
they handle is as good aa aver. Mr.. Hew-
EFT, however, Is Of the opinion that there
IS little demand this year. He blames
this on Industrial Depression, and says
the responslhility rests on the Democratic
Administration.
.'The people don'r seem to have any
money he said. ',rhe same conditions
in the produce market existed before
when the Democrats we're tn You can
buy tomatoes OF the ordinary kind from
hve cents basket down to nothing
Some OF the fnor grade OF stuff brings
as high as Is or IS cents. The tomatoes
are lower now than I have ever known
them to be before"
The war is a contributing factor to the
low pricea In the opinion OF some, be-
Gauss Il hab cut down what export bus
mess was carried on in other years,
It Is with tomatoes, potatoes and cab
bages that the farmers are having their
greatest trouble other vegetables are
low IN price. but not lnordinately so.
TROUBLES or THE FARMER.
n the opinion OF David H. Simon. OF
the Reading Terminal Market. the present
conditions are adding a burden 10 the
troubles OF the farmer that he hardly will
be able to bear
Fruit and vegetables have been
cheaper the last IS months than have
ever known them 10 be- he said, THE
FARMER - the sufferer He cannot afford
10 market his produce az the present
prices. He is up against 1t. because OF
the present cost OF operations. He must
have an automobile, a telephone and
many other modern appliances II he
wants to do business and he has TO pay
twiee as much for laber as he did 8 few
years ago. They have been hghtihg the
farmer too hard.
nFolhtoes have been As cheap IN the
nast but they never stayed cheap. Now
ihs farmers are selling FOR a5 or 50 cents
huahei Last year they we're getting
twice as much.
l'Ths farmer can scarcely get more
than centa hasket for his tomatoes,
ana II costs him that much to have
them picked A. a result many growers
arc ldaving them IN the fields to rot
The supply ID twice AZ great As the de-
mond
Tie cut-price stores are taking advan-
tags 81 conditions Mf Simon said 10
soil fetAtoea And tomatoes almost at cost
q sHdtf 70 attract eastonefs to their
stores He said that the loss to the fafni-
sl4 rom potatoes. tomatoes and cabbage
HoHla be greater than they could make
~ ~ whatever pfonts they realize from
aiher produce
III had g farm nov I'd close It up"
s1id Arthur Mieha6otti also OF the
Raedins Terminal Market
FANCY PRODUCTS NOT CHANGED.
fahcy products are bringing as much
idia 9eaf Is syef. bat the los prices are
aHesIina the business Of deAists ia the
amer Kind 81 Agricultural foodeluifs, be-
canea their customers. hearing Of the
foH prices of vegetables. feel that they
-Aes4ia h@ aAi4 - esrehsre the quality
mas they ashlfe at reduced prices
Jersey peaohJs are Just coming IN. and
ID IS expealed tHai lhe9s tiH BE- 4 big
aapnlY and low prices.