Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-27
PRODUCE EXCHANGE AND
CAsA-AND-CARRY SYSTEM
Colonel Cary, Of Food Administra..
ton, Has Heart-to-Heart Talk
With Cary Street Men.
LOYAL FOOD DEALERS HELP
Members of Exchange Work Har-
moni6usly With Uncle Sans
Agents and Tighten Their Duties
to Great Extent.

At the annual meeting of the Rich
mond Produce Exchange, held last
week. war conditions governmental
restrictions and regulations and the
food administrations work. as thew
affect the produce business. were the
leading topics for discussion. and II
developed that while no elias OF busi-
ness men has moro restrictions and
rules and regulations to be mindful Of
than the wholesale produce dealers and
commission merchants. it was also
shown that no class OF men Is to-day
working more in harmony with the
government or more wisely and efYec-
lively cooperating with the govern
ment ofhctals than the produce dealers
OF Richmond.
All OF these matters were discussed
at the annual meeting and around the
FESTIVE board, when the spread had
been disposed or There were sneecb.s
ana discussion that brought all Of
this out. Colonel r. A. Cary and Dr
L. Eaton. OF the food administration
were in attendance upon the meeting
oE invitation. and both made speeches
Coionel Cary thanked the produce
men Tor their hearty cooperation in
these trying times, and told them that
they were helping him more than thew
<new. perhaps. In the discharge of the
heavy duties he had undertaken for
the government. He declared he had
10 trouble at all with the Cary and
ihirteenth Street men" They heart
iiy complied with every regulation ths
government had required tho food nd
rnihlstration to impose, when thev
knew or and understood the regulation
or restriction, and when anything did
happen to go wrong 1t was because
inc rule was not known or not exactly
understood, and the wrong was quick
~ righted when the men were fulIv
informed az to what the government
wanted.
Colonel Cary went further and said
the retail provision dealers of Rich
mona were also In the main a loyal
set. and there was little trouble With
he truly loyal when they were in.
| formed as to what Uncle Sam wanted
them TO do and what not to do He
was SATISFIED that the real business
men OF Richmond had acquired the
habit of working tremendously among
themselves and with other classes or
organizations. including the govern
ment through the good work of just
such trade organizations as the Rich
mond Produce Exchange, which
teaches by precept and example the
"alue OF cooperation and team work.
He said the work OF the government
in regulating things to meet war con-
dit!ons and the emergencies Of the
times would be much easier IL every
town in the country, large or small,
had similar organizations.
Another subject that came up at the
meeting was the credit system" II
was the consensus of opinion that the
time has come when the produce deal
ers. wholesale provision men and the
retailers must curtail credit, practi-
cally abolish bookkeeping in their
business and come square down to the
cash and carry" system. The in
creased cost Of doing business and the
high prices for everything in the eat
ing line demand that the wholesaler
nd the retailer alike must have the
money for his goods promptly or get
ut OF the business. Some of the
speakers at the meeting expressed the
opinion that the consumers generally
will adopt the cash and carry" system
Of their own accord: that the high cost
Of goods and the certainty that things
eatable are yet to go higher will cause
them to welcome the total abolition
IF free delivery of goods when 1t is
shown that its abolition Will be a
saving to them; that it is an easy
matter for the consumer to demon
strate tina money can be saved by buy
ng for cash only. II naturally follows
hat if the consumers become all cash
customers the retailer will not have to
have the produce men and the whole
saler to keep accounts with them.
The exchange unanimously Endorsed
the cash and carry" system. and VIII
doubtless rad ways and means to put
it in operation ogenerally, so tar as
eatables are concerned.
The exchange reelected all or the
lid officers for the ensuing year. w.
Crenshaw is the president.