New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-22
Hopes by Cooperative
System to Reduce High
Cost of Living
OTHER REMEDIES
ARE PUT FORWARD
Hartigan Sees Dealers as
Wicks Committee Begins
Sessions Here

Several concrete suggestions regard
ing remedies issued yesterday from
the complicated series Of investiga-
tons which Federal, state and munich
pal authorities are conducting 10
gather official data on the high cost
Of living in New York City.
Commissioner John J. Dillon II tho
State Department of Foods and Mar
kets announced that he would appeal
20 the Legislature this winter for an
appropriation 10 build state con
trolled cooperative terminal market
with receiving accommodations Tor
ships and railways. He hopes TO offer
produce and dairy products direct from
the farms 10 retailers at prices iai
below present quotations.
Plans Local Association
Pending the carrying out OF this
plan. he says he will develop local
cooperative association Of retailers
who, for a small annual membership
fee, will have the privilege of elimin-
sting the middlemsn by buying food
81 stores 10 be opened by the State
Depa, tment Of Foods and Markets.
Joseph Hartigan, Commissioner Of
the Mayors Bureau Of Weights and
Measures. conferred yesterday with re-
tail butchers. grocers and delicatessen
storekeepers, who informed him that
January bankruptcy reports would
show a great increase in small business
failures unless somsthing was done to
check The ascending food prices. Four
arrests for selling potatoes and coal al
short weight were made by Mr.. Harti'
gan's inspectors.
Police Commissioner Woods an
uounced that with the assistance OF the
Health Department ne would take a
census OF cold storage warehouses TO
determine whether egg spectators
we're conspiring 10 force prices higher.
Wicks Committee Here
After working upstate since July. the
Wicks Legislative committee, which IS
investigating milk production and dis
tribution. began sessions in this city
yesterday.
Michael F. Burns, president Of Burns
: Brothers. one Of the largest retail
coal firms in the world, has been
subpaned and will appear before the
grand jury 10 give evidence against
"scalpers"-men who store their coal
and sell at big profit when II be-
comes scarce.
Federal Investigators for the United
States Department of Justice will for
ward TO Washington this week com
plete report on the coal situation here.
To eliminate the middleman and es-
tablish direct exchange Of food COM
modities between producers and con-
sumers Commissioner Dillon intends TO
ask the Legislature to appropriate
money this winter for a large terminal
cooperative market, 20 be managed by
the state. He is convinced, after an
exhaustive study Of ascending prices,
that the state must take hand at
regulation if>the cost of living is 70
be brought down to anything approach
ing normal figure.
Must Be a Delay
The Commissioner realizes, however,
that there will be considerable delay
in getting the Legislature to act on his
plan. He is developing meanwhile,
therefore, a cooperative association OF
producers, which will offer food
staples 10 consumers at three stores
TO be rented by the State Department
Of Foods and Markets.
lie proposes TO open one on the East
Side. another on the West Side and a
/ third in the vicinity OF Washington
Heights. BY obtaining their stock di-
rectly from the farmers Commissioners
Dillon believes these can sell at re-
I duction Of 20 10 30 per cent on the
present high prices. He plans Ia
charge the members a nominal annuaI
/ fee.
"As soon as the Legislature con-
venes ] shall recommend for immedi-
ate consideration the establishment OF
/ = great central terminal market IN
| New York City" Mr.. Dillon said yes
terdav. "The market should be SC
| situated that steamships could unload
| beneath its roof, and there should also
be connecting spurs for the railroads
| Extensive cold storage chambers would
be placed above the bins where PROD
! nee and dairy products would be re
ceived directly from the farm.
"The State Department OF FOODS
and Markets would take charge OF the
disposal Of the food either a. auction