The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-04-27
At CITY
MARKETSL0WER
Than IN STORES
Cincinnati Municipal Industry
Illustrates Difference,

The New York state bureau Of mu
nicipal information has made a careful
investigation ol all OF the American
cities which have had experience with
municipal public markets, at the request
OF the mayors conferences special com
m,tee on food supply, OF which Mayor
George K Lunn OF Schenectady is chair
man. Eighiy-onc American cities have
answered the request for information.
Thirty six OF these, all with a population
exceeding 5000. have one or more mu.
nlcipal markets vt one kind OF another
\ study OF the data received from these
is said to show conclusiycb tha, Maybr
Lunn's committee IS justified IN asking
the legislature TO give cities authority TO
establish departments ot markets as one
means OF lowering the cost OF living,
Self Sustaining in ~ Cities.
Twenty-Five cities report that their
markets are seli-sustain,ng. One other
saws that It's market is usually Self-sup
porting, and another that il is not when
interest. taxes and depreciation are
taken into account In seventeen cities
the annual income is greater than the
annual cost Of operation maintenance
and OVERHEAD charges In five othsr
cities the income and expenditures are
abou, the same, aud IN still five others
the expenditures are less than the in
come. In twenty one cities the total
revenues are from the rent sale or auc
ton OF spaces IN the market places
Three secure additional revenue in ices
for weighing and teams and in wharfage
charges
The cities report that these markets
have brought about some startling re
suits in reducing the cost OF ioodstuiis
Sixteen cities repot, that the avetagc
prices in the municipal markets are
lower than those in the retail stores
Five others report the prices are the
same Auburn, Nay. and st Louis &c
port that there IS very little difference
IN prices Jacksonville. Fla, says that
the prices compare very iayorably, aud
| Sacramento, Tacoma and Dctroi, report
that wha, variation there is Is IN favor
of the municipal markets. Wilmington
aud Dclu,h are the only cities which
report that municipal matke, prices, are
higher The following cities. which re-.
port lower municipal markc, prices, give
the following percentages Cleveland
~ percent lower South Bend, from
TO ~ pcrcen, lower Philadelphia. IN per
cen, lower, Cincinnati, Is percent; Kan.
sas City. Mo-, 20 percent, Des Moines
from ~ to p percent, Columbus, from
10 to IS percent; Portland, Ore, say,
that several Investigations showed prices
in the public markets were from 10 b
loo percent cheaper than in retail stores
Lansing Mich, saws the difference he
tween municipal marke, aud retail stor,
prices will average ont.hali the differ
Fence between the retail and wholesal,
prices In twenty.three cities munieipa
markets tend to keep down price, Of
iood,,uils throughout the CITY.
Benefits Are Varied.
The benefits derived from public mar
ke,s arc varied. according 10 the an
,wcr, sent by the cities Among ,hl
benefits mentioned arc the following
producer, hlways assured oi wage
ift'h ,cgelah',' does away with M
riddltman, offers opportunity Or smal