Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-14
UNIFORMITY
IN FOOD PRICES
SOUGHT BY JUDGE
Jurist Ashford Urges Commits
sion to Force Retail Cut as
Wholesale Price Drops

That there appears to be q lack OF
intelligence in the fixing Of prices OF
food products handled at the terrific,
rial marketing division, especially
with regard to potatoes and onions
and that the man Of small means
ahould have Q chance to benefit from
low prices 40 well as the man who
purchases in large quantities, IL the
opinion Of Circuit Judge Ashford as
expressed In q letter to the territorial
food commission.
Judge Ashford suggests that the
difference between the wholesale and
retail prices charged at the market
"a unreasonable and oppressive toward
poor purchasers. His letter follows:
II have. been impressed with what
appears 70 me O lack Of intelligence
in the fixing Of the price OF food prod.
ucts handled at the Territorial Mar.
ket. For the purposes OF this letter, /
confine myself to the two articles Of
potatoes and onions, and respectfully
suggest that the difference between
the Wholesale and retail prices
charged IL unreasonable, and, In par
ticular, that Il 70 oppressive toward
poor purchasers. While II is true there
has been considerable decline In
price q late, still, the disparity be-
tween Wholesale and retail rates main
tains 70 an extent which I deem IN
reasonable.
take potatoes, as an. example. Al
though they were selling at $3.50 per
sack Of 100 pounds, two days since.
yet Twas charged cents per pound
1t retail. This represents q differ
ence OF 90 cents per bushel II cor.
rectly estimate the purposes for which
the Territorial Market WIS estab.
Iished, they include the purpose Of not
only furnishing q market for food
stuffs grown a the islands, but also
. supply depot where residents of this
city, ana especially those Of {. the
poorer class, and those who have no
occasion 20 purchase IN wholesale lots
nay obtain the benefit OF reasonable
prices, One may readily appreciate
the reasons for Q considerable range
Of difference between wholesale and
retail prices In an establishment op-
Grated Tor profit, but, where con-
cern Il operated chiefly pro bono pu-
blico (which j understand TO be the
case with the Territorial MarkeD,
then / contend that the poorer classes
81 the community, and those who
have no occasion TO buy IN large lots
should b privileged 70 purchase %
cheaply as the richer and larger con-
sumers. II any difference ct all 10
permitted to prevail, Il should be
only enough to cover the added ex.
pense Of dealing ont. let rs say, 2
sank Of potatoes I'M ten cr tMenty
1arceIa instead q IN Onexp1fck IL
strikes me that the system here COM
Dlained Or land which also relates to-
oniona and possibly to other prod.
ucta3 Il directly contrary TO the
spirit OF the purpose for which the
market vas established.
II assume that your commission has
Iurisdiction 70 determine and regulate
Ihese matters, though / confess that
have not sandied the recent 1egisla-
ion IN that behalf. But. apart from
my positive rights Of regulation
which you may possess, may I sug-
rest that representation By your
Commission along these lines, 70 the
Enperintendent Of the market would
DOUBTLESS Be accorded great weight
md might result IN substantial bene-
iIfs 70 the poorer CLASSES Of the com
munity which are now withheld from
han =