Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-06

This Is the first of tvo article
dealing NTH ovetpyoduction of fruit
and vegetables and It's econonti
effects. The first article, here printed
contains the composite UietCs of
number of housewives tUho tell hot
oterproductio1 affects their tables an
their pocketbooks. The second drticl
agiu deal NTH the glut from the UieV
point Of the retail dealer.
When there is more Of anything than Il
needed the price falls This is a prin
cipie Of political economy that is admit
ted by all the political economists.
Now that there Is glut in the vege.
table market; now that they have been
throwing things into the river because
there Is no market for them. the house
wife Is naturally supposed to be getting
things cheap. So how ia the excessive
supply affecting your poeketbook, Mrs.
Housewlfe7 Have you any more money
now than. you had before?
These questions were plt to n number
OF Philadelphia housewives. The replies.
in composite form. follow. In substance
they show that the ultimate consumer
OF foodstuff does not profit by heavy pro-
auction OF foodstuff as much as might be
expected: that, In fact, the lowering OF
retail prices is by no means commensu-
rate with the increase of supply. That
there have been prices somewhat lower
Is admitted.
II Is true that the housewife often can
get bargains, when the huckster, grocer
or produce man has to get rid Of his goods
In "a hurry or lose out altogether by their
r0tting. but these are bargains of guam
tity rather than OF quality. And this is
the whole point Of the problem. She
must always pay about the same price
for really good stuff The cheap things
arr usually of poor quality The ''best
m the market" tends to have standard
price, whether 1t is In times Of plenty
OF OF scarcity that one speaks.
II could have bought peck OF tomatoes
foI 20 cents the other day" she said.
y wouldn't buy them. but bought a
half-peck for 20 cents Instead In the
first place. the peck of cheap tomatoes
wasn't quite UP TO standard. The man.
OF course. had tried to get 40 cents for
tnsm at first.
ieThe reason he came down in price was
because he was afraid they were begin
ming TO rot. | knew they were beginning
70 rot, and | didn't need SO much as
whole peck | didn't need that much. and
even II had, the last OF the batch, when
I should come to them, would not have
been fit TO eat. So bought the half peck
which / could be sure of for quality. at
donbie the price, and do not think was
losing
Now. say huckster has bought batch
5f tomatoes In that batch there will be
10 two tomatoes equally good. Suppose
fl.k he hnd
allen; that he had paid too much for
HON. that II he sold them straight" he
Fould make little profit or none2 What
yould he do?
WOULD DIVIDE LOTS.
why" said Mrs Housewife. 'he would
IiVlde his lot into two parts, the good |
md the inferior specimens, He would
ell the inferior tomatoes for whatever |
e could get for them-cheaper than the |
agnlar price-and then he would make
10 his loss by charging the usual price
I more than the usual price for the good
omatoes"
So, even In this case of a miniature
Tut IN the market, the housewife, bur
enad as she Is with the natural desire
lwags to get the best on the market.
refers to take the more expensive picked
lmatoes than 10 take advantage OF the
bad luck and buy only his
reaper goods.
'Now. here's another way Of getting
afsaina that doesn't pay, said Mrs.
|9usewife. There Is man that sells
ssetables hereabouts who will reduce
s prices after an argument of Is minutes
50, suppose he does agree to take
cents OH his price Calculating a day
eight hours activity as worth &. that
minutes argument ls worth between s
nd cents. 50 I would lose. after all"
Tomatoes were not the only things that
snt their usual price. "exeapt to 20
lnte Il. II anything. az times" Il was
'und They are now about % cents a
III peck White potatoes are Is eents a
II peck ana sweet potatoes % cents q
II peek Potatoes are plentiful lust
-. too plentiful. HUT where are the
lIaEoea that sold for y cents = peek the
nef dasf That temporary condition had
en very temporary indeed. II did not
aeh West Philadelphia, where thinas
g usually two or three cents more ax-
aslYs than they are IN the central dis
POTATOES % non kREea
f vas sree. there we're bargains in ea-
toes from time % tms. But uatatoes Al !
2 resp and the enis real point ia
ssals aafanfase q 1Afgalas would Be
aty them II quantity Potatoes aef
enEy and begin Is s'apEeuts i 80 80
= Il Nas nas Flse = buy more than
S 8 usck = & tilna Onions do sskaanii
8 are 2 cents ha4 pseK. Gem. ahlsh |
aaz e aEy ap after I've 81 three az1s
s sanaet o bought Is great aaantife
HoEEnai e g cents 4 dozen. rhsss ~
Haeksiefz prices ahieh shade aaasF
azsfs prices saaaah. az s fale. ehsss
e saarees oE tie hoaseaIfass annaIv
s Hal71H "a tss .sH f