The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-10-29
LOCAL DEALERS
DISCUSS PRICES
Committees Named to Draw
Up Lists for Meat and
Groceries
CASH AND CARRY
PLAN FAVORED
But Efforts to Bring About Abandon
ment of Delivery System Fails-In-
teresting Conference in Food Admin
istrator's Office.

In order to establish a revised sched-
ule OF prices for meat and groceries in
Brattleboro a conference of meatmen
and grocers was held with Local Food
Administrator Jean j. Eanderyeer in
his office last evening, and Mr.. Wander
veer and about % members of the trade
held an open discussion from 8 to 1920
O'Clock Many interesting trade details
were brought out, and incidentally the
views OF those present was obtained rel
ative to the idea of establishing a cash
and carry system of doing business and
cutting out charge accounts and free
delivery of purchases
Mr.. Vanderveer called the dealers to-
gether because of a request from the
state administrators for a schedule of
prices in force in Brattleboro, which is
desired by the national headquarters in
| Washington. A schedule to be followed
tby grocers was adopted some time ago,
but because of changes in wholesale
prices and complaints that the schedule
was not being lived up to strictly it was
deemed best by the local administrator
to have cash and carry list adopted.
with the privilege of extra charges for
delivery. No uniform plan has been
in force with respect to the meat trade,
except so far as they may have had an
understanding among themselves.
After discussion, committees were
chosen to draw up price lists to be sub
mitted at meeting next Monday night
at o'clock in Mr.. Nanderveers office,
after which they will be published in
The Reforner for the guidance of pur-
chasers. Sherman Abbott of G. O. Abbott
q Son was chosen the committee on the
part OF the meatmen, and Holland j.
Wilson of the Dewitt Grocery Co, ia
son f. Bushnell and Fred L. Lowe were
made the committee for the grocerymen.
In opening the discussion Mr.. Wander
veer took up first the matter of meat
prices, stating that in New York a hard
and fast rule for fixing the retail prices
of beef. lamb. and pork had been made
, by the federal food board. Any butcher
who fails to live up to the rule runs the
risk of being permitted to contribute to
the Red Cross and putting up sign
in his shop telling all who can read that
he has profiteered.
The plan there is for the butchers to
charge certain number of cents pound
for the various cuts of meat above the
: wholesale pound rate of the carcass as
r whole The margins apply to un-
: trimmed cuts sold On a cash and carry
{ basis; that is. the customer will have to
take the steak or roast as it comes, pay
cash for it, and carry it home. If he has
: the purchase charged and asks the butch
er to deliver it the dealer is permitted
IL 4 h.
food administration will not attempt to
regulate the charge made for that service.
1t is the local food administrator 3
idea to put the Brattleboro trade on the
same basis, and, as he stated at the CON
!, ference, to keep the people from guess
y ing whether they are being stuck IF
:. they can be sure of getting fair price, y
he said lit will save a lot of suspicion -
: 1t will be- an easy matter for any
i customer to keep tabs on the butchers
q charges by finding out from the news
n paper the wholesale price for carcasses
: of beef lamb, and pork and adding to
d the price the margin per pound allowed
e. by the administrator over the cost
d 1t was brought out that all the meat
men here trim their meat before selling
it and keep the trimmings so the prices
for trimmed meat here and the price:
for untrimmed meat in New York die
d not offer any basis for comparison. but
the dealers seemed willing to make {
price for untrimmed meat, allowing th'
50 customer to keep the trimmings.
a The following cash and carry price
it lin force in New York were quoted b.
ne Mr.. Vanderyeer, who stated that witt
IL less rent and less overhead expense her
or than in New York he thought the loca
dealers ought to be able to match tn
New York prices:
BEEF
isl Untrimmed Margi