New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-24
APPLES OF DISCORD
citv and State at Gross Purposes
Regarding Fruit Prices.
70 tho Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Cir. There is much anxiety in the fruit
and produce trade in particular and in the
agricultural world in general over the be
oilderment Of farmers pseudo -reformers and
receivers Of fruits and vegetables here and
IN other places in the State OF New York 70
harmonic the relations between Mayor
Vitchel's commission for lowering the cost
Of farm products, notably fruits and vege-
tables. for consumers and the State Depart
ment of Foods and Markets, which is no"
holding n series of auctions of apples on the
trees in orchards upstate in order to OBTAIN
the highest prices possible for growers Inc
latter work is in charge Of John J. Dillon
who has been connected with weekly news
paper in this city for several years, and oil
his auction manager, Herbert Emerson
Commissioner Dillon and Mr.. Emerson are
doing their utmost to obtain the highest
prices possible for fruits. while the Mayors
commission, headed, believe, by George W.
Perkins, was organized for the primary pur-
pose of obtaining farm products at the low
est possible price II could for consumers
Thus we see city officials arrayed against
state officials and state officials arrayed
against our municipal authorities, and all
the public seems to get out Of the whole ugly
mess is an idea of what politicians will do to
project themselves into the limelight when
weak Mayor is at the head Of affairs
Municipal automobiles are at their disposal
free Of charge and little may be said at TINS
time about the Mayors food commission
since it seems to be taking a vacation. Inc
State Department of Foods and Markets, how
ever is now busy inducing apple growers IN
Western New York and elsewhere to give
Commissioner Dillon and Mr.. Emerson their
apples to auction. The first auction safe
held under the auspices of the department
was at Upper Red Hook on or about Septem-
Der |. It was a failure. The highest bid for
the best apples ever seen in the Hudson River
Valley was S315 barrel. Some of the auc
ton officials told the owner, Mr. william
Teator, something that led the latter TO Dld
in the apples for himself at 1926 barrel,
and the fruit was sold some days afterward
to commission merchant for $3.50, or 10
cents barrel more than the State Depart
ment of Foods and Markets could get for
the fruit.
Last week we had another oDJect iessoh VI
how Commissioner Dillon's scheme of selling
fruit at auction was tried and found want
ing. Mr.. Dillon's auction sold Of state
peaches on Tuesday at 1712 to 20 cents
basket and Jersey peaches as high as 90 cents
p hamper. Another car of sx-basket carriers
of Elbertas was sold at 67ia to 10 cents;
l4-ouart baskets Of extra fancy Elbertas a.
.37l2 cents and fancy Elbertas in 14-quart
baskets at 80 to 35 cents mostly S2Ts cents)
These prices were considerably below those
given for peaches of equal quality, SIZE ana
color at a private sale on the docks.
Now both the Mayors food comm ssioners
and the State Department of Foods ana Mar
kets say that their object includes, among
other things, the elimination of the middle
man. or commission merchant, and |, in com
mon with many others, would be grateful II
The Tribune would point out how the middle
man can be eliminated or either bureau re-
spected while one is trying to negative the
", rk of the other The city has nearly fifty
unsolved murders on it's hands since John
Purroy Mitchell became Mayor; his admins
tration has been the most extravagant ever
k, own in the history of New York and his
f. Cd supply commission the greatest Joke
since the days Of Barnum. Isn't 1t time that
the electorate of New York woke up and got
rid of mountebanks who are preyins upon the
credulity Of the farmer, humbugging the con
sumner and drawing large salaries from the
city and state treasures?
JOSEPH W. GAVAN.
New York, Sept 20, 1915.