The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-03-06
ARE GROCERY
DELIVERY CARS
FOR-HIRE CARS?
Councilman Annis Says if they
Charge they Should Pay the
License Fees
SLY DEFENDS PAY SYSTEM
Question of Whether Grocery Stores
Should Pay Comes up at the
Next Council Meeting Z

Should Pay Comes up at the
Next Council Meeting
Is the grocery store which maintains
q delivery service and charges for
each delivery in the transfer and dray-
age business, or isn't it? This is the
Question which Councilman G M. An
mis- proposes to have decided at the
next regular meeting of the city coun-
ell. * +.
The question was raised Tuesday
evening when the city fathers were
considering what they Were going to
do to the dray and taxi men who as
yet have refused to pay their annual
city license fees. During the discus
sion Mr.. Annis gave notice that at
the next meeting he would bring up
the question of determining the status
OF the grocery stores pay deliveries.
4The pay delivery was purely
war measure said Mr.. Annis, "and
the emergency has passed, but the pay
delivery is still with US. The purpose
of the pay delivery was to reduce de-
liveries to a minimum so that men efn--
ployed on delivery wagons might be
released for war work. The need then
was for men. The need today is for
jobs for unemployed men and I be-
lieve the former system of free de-
1iveries should be re-established. If
the delivery car is to be operated for
hire, let it be brought under the for
hire provisions of the city ordinance.
and the STATE laws"
The truck and taxi owners of the
city are protesting against the pay
ment of the city license on the grounds
that the state license fee has been so
greatly increased that the dual taxa
ton imposes an excessive and unjust
burden upon them. The question has
been up for discussion at almost ev-
cry meeting since the first of the year
and some final disposition of the mat
ter will probably be made at the coun-
ciPs next session. n
When informed this mornig that he
would probably be called onto the
carpet by the city council, E. M. Sly,
manager of The Produce Company,
said: "At first hand should say that |
we would rather pay the license fee
than to discontinue the pay delivery.
1t isn't that we are making money out |
OF our delivery. Our records show
that our delivery revenue pays not
more than one-fifth of our delivery
costs. Anyone who will give the ques-
ton second thought must know that
the cost of delivery is borne by the
customer whether we do or do not
make direct charge for delivering.
What We like about the system is that /
1t has almost entirely eliminated the
abuses of the free delivery. We no
longer have to chase to one end of
town with a 15-cent order and back
to the other end with 20-cent order.
Inc number of our daily deliveries is
Just one-fourth of what they used to
De. The. city housewife has come to
anticipate her needs and to bunch her
orders and to buy in larger quantities.
II It We're possible to ascertain the
1acts / am certain it could be shown
tnat the pay system has. reduced the
grocery bills of every household in the !
clty and know that it has relieved
tne merchant of whole lot of trouble.
Our margin of profits has not been
increased by the pay system, conse-
quently the customer must have paid
tne cost of the so-called free delivery. /,
II this be true, and it most certainly
IS true, the pay system is the only
ialr one. 1t is impracticable to put
deliver price and carry price on
every commodity in our store. This
means that under the free system the
customer who carries his purchases is
neiping to pay for delivering the pur- /
enases of the fellow WHO doesn't car |.
~ and the housewife who buys sugar
y .ne sack is helping to pay the cost !
u aeilvering two-bits' worth of sugar /
!" ner neighbor's house today and
anotner two-bits' worth tomorrow. The
pas delivery system is not money 4
aAer, but trouble-saver for the
,erenant; /, it is not an added expense. !
t a money-saver for the customer" ]