The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-03-29
CITY MARKETS
And LIVING COST
Successful Experiments In Va
rIOuS municipalities.
EIGHTY-OaE CITIES REPORT

The New York state Bureau Of Munie.
ipsl Information Has Made a Study
Of the Experience Of American Cities
With Municipal Pubic Markets.
The Nuw York state bureau of muuic.
ipal information has made study of
the experience Of American cities with
municipal public markets gt tur rc.
quest Uf the mayors conferences spc.
c'nl committee ON food supply. OF
which Mayor Gcor-c H. L.m ul
SCH uccudy is chagmHn. says the
American city Ti-hty.uuc American
cities have tu date answered. tID TO-
quest Tor Information Thirty Sis 10,
those, 900 with u population exceeding
10000. have one ur moro .ipul
markets Of tnc kIud or another a
study of the data received from thcgc
h. said TO show coucluslycly that May.
or Lunus committee II justified Ia ask
ing the legislature to give titlcs au.
thority to- establish departments of
markets ns one means OF lowering the
cost OF living.
Twenty-Five cities report That their
markets are self sustaining. ono other
slys its market IN usually self support
ing aud another that II Is not when IN.
tcrcst, taxes aud depreciation are taken
Into account Ia seventeen cities the
annual Income Is greater than the uu
nuHl cost uf operation. maintenance
aud all overhead charges, In I've other
cities the Income aud expenditures ARE
about the same aud IN stil i've others
the expenditures are less than the Ia
come. Ia twcnty-ouc cities the total
revenues hrr from the rent. sale ur
auction of spaces IN the market places
Three secure additional revenue iu
fees fur weighing aud teams aud IA
wharfage charges.
The o.tlcs report that those markets
have brought uhuut some startling rr'
suits IN reducing the cost of foOlsluns.
Sixteen cities report That the average
prices in the municipal markets are
lower than those n the retail. stores
Five others report TINT thc prices are
the same. Auburn, y. T.. nud 80, Louis
report that there II very little diner
ence In prices. Jacksonville. l'lG.. says
that the prices compare very fuyoahly,
aud Sacramento. Tacoma aud Detroit
report that what variation there Is Is
IA favor Of the municipal markets, WI.
uingion aud Duluth are the only cities
which report that municipal market
prices are higher. The following cities,
which report lower municipal market
prices. give the following percentages;
Cleveland, ~ per cent lower: South
Bend, from . to 20 per cent lower;
Philadelphia, 10 per cent lower; Gin
c'unati, 10 per cent; Kansas city. Mo,
- per cont, ncs MoIucs, from - ,9 .5
pcf cent; Columbus. from 10 10 10 per
cent. Portland, ore, says that several
investigations showed prices In the pub
llc markets were often much lower
than they were In retail stores. Ian.
sing, Mich, says the difference between
municipal market and retail store
prices viii average one-half the differ
ence between the retail aud the whole.
sale prices. In twenty-three cities
municipal markets tend 10 keep down
prices or foodstuffs throughout the city,
The hcnctits derived from unblic mar
kets are varied. according TO the an'
swcrs sent 10y the cit'rs Among the !
benefits mentioned nrr the following; |
Producers always assured of wages, |
fresh vegetables, docs away with midi I
d''mru, Offers opportunity Tor small .
producer, tn soll their wul"ce stimu- /
lates interest iu agricultural pursuits 1
aul gardening and builds up agrirul- I
tu1l Interests, uroduc.- e.t more and .
cH-umcr pay less, better quality and .
-Dr variety IHr Du...er-.
Twputy-Wr cities inform the bureau .
that thcir markets are q success. An /
o.. thr uiuc cities, with one exception,
which report their markets are NOT a
success operate only curb markets The
dg'a Indicate thur the failure Of these
is duc to inefficient management, which
resulted in lack of patronage boy
producers ur consumers or both.
Ia answer 10 the question, Would
you advise city Ia establish munici-
pal market as one means of reducing
Or preventing nm Increase of the cost of
living, provided the food supply is nor
mal?" twenty cities Informed the m-
rciu that they would. ana only two nm
swrred In the negative.
Fourteen cities In New York stute
have municipal markets, of these the
following have reported to the bureau
that the prices Of produce in their pub
he markets are lower than ia stores;
Rulalo. Rochester Albany Olean,
Corning and Schenectady, jamestown
reports that its market has compelled
handlers of produce to sell al reason
able prices.
Detroit Plans.
Ncroit, Mich, win have a metrOpol-