Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-20
MR.. bR0WNL0W
TO SEE REVIVAL
OF BASKET BUYING
Other Commissioners May Be
at Farmers Market Satur-
day Morning.
PRODUCERS FAR AND
NEAR BEING NOTIFIED
Plan Is Expected to Change Whole
sale Trade to That of
Retail.

Commissioner Brownlow and, pos
sibly. the entire board Of Commits
sioners: community center leaders
food problem will be at Farmers mar
ket. Saturday morning, to witness the
revival by Washington housewives Of
the basket plan Of shopping.
There il no way Of estimating how
large a brigade Of "basketers' Mar
ket Master Fillius may be called upon
to lead past the produce stands. but
farmers far and near are being noti-
ned by the department of weights.
likely to find here Saturday record
breaking crowd of retail buyers.
q. n. Roberts Originator. .:s
The back to the basket" movement.
originated by George M. Roberts. su-
perintendent of the department of
weights. measures and markets, has
q twotold object. The first is to estab-
as a principle. The second Is to build
up q retail trade at the Farmers mar
ket.
Under existing conditions the 500 or
more producers who sell at this mar
ket for the most part bring their
The principal customers are retail
stores, which buy in wholesale guam
titles. So few householders go to this
market that the growers. as rule.
do not come prepared to meet a retail
trade. 49, l@@
This situation will be imme diately
reversed, 1t is believed. II household
ers indicate q desire to patronixe the
market. AS far as possible. word is
being sent to the farmers to come
prepared to sell at retail Saturday.
Expect Huge Supply.
It is anticipated there will be, from
thirty to forty thousand dollars
ROBERTS u consincsd that the house
wife who joins MI Ftllius squad with
is.ss Soll on on IN HI dhass asII
Mr.. Ftllius' ONCE IL lpcatsd at the
MI ~ sa that s,s Sssst Sr5 S
O'Clock Saturday. Every m1fnttS OF
next week and succeeding weeks MI.
ritiius VII leave the same place #
the same time With all hcusewivss
tage Of the opportunity to establish
business relations with the farmers
and become acquainted with the SELL
ing methods Of the market. His tute-
lage will continue az long as there 10
any demand for IT.
It Is expected many buyers will
leave standing orders with the farm
erS for regular deliveries Of eggs,
butter and other produce. The food.
Of, course, will be delivered only to
the market, WHARF the consumers
mnst call for it. s'':
=. Strictly Basket Plan.
Superintendent Roberts emphasize
again today that this IL to be strictly
a basket shopping plan. as far as the
retail purchases are concerned. Farm
ers will not agree to make deliveries
to homes.
But householders may find it adj
vantageous to organize neighborhood
buying groups. purchase commodities
at the farmers market in wholesale
lots and rent drays at the market for
their delivery. In this way. the econ
omy Of wholesale buying would more
than Offset the transportation charge
to the individual. Mr.. Roberts believes.
e. d. Atkinson. chairman of the
Ctttsens' Cooperative Buying League;
Clarence r. Wilson, former adminis-
uted the first carload Of Army foods
in Washington. and others who have
been Identified actively with the
movement to lower prices here spoke
enthusiastically of the plan today.
Can Save at Fish Market.
Another District institution-the
fish market. on Water street-ofrers a
considerable saving to any one who
win take the trouble to shop there,
1t was pointed out by District on
ciAls today.
Fish and watermelons constitute
about the only commodities to be had
at the flsh market at present. The
oyster season will begin about Sep
tember l.
AS = general rule, it is stated. fsh
average saving Of s cents a pound
on the retail store quotations. It is
much cheaper to buy watermelons at
the fish market. Market Master Noyes
said today.
At the high prices charged for fish
this week. Market Master Noyes said
today, as there Is genuine shortage
of fish.
Market Master Noyes said that only
twenty-one barrels Of crabs and fish
reached the municipal wharves this
trout. largo trout and butter Ash.
Pan trout brought as high as $25 a
barrel, whereas last week it could he
had for 81 and So q barrel. II sold
at retail at the hsh market TODAY
for IL cents q pound.
According to Mr.. Noyes' quotations.
largo trout sold ut retail at the fish
market this morning for rs cents q
pound and butter trout for 20 cents.
It IL expected that delivery Of Army
foods by the CitizenS Co-opera tive
Buying League to community centers
and government departments win
the distribution will start In earnest
tomorrow, according t. e. d. Atkinson.
chairman Of. the league.
Five carloads of the Army foods
are at the fish market, whore Il haa
been inspected and checked by A. i.
Driscoll. q member Of the executive
committee Of the league. Effort win
be made to get the products to the
auxiliary points for distribution to
consumers before the end Of next
week.
sale food dealers will assemble at
whether they are to make an organ
ixed contribution to the problem Of
solving the high cost OF living. The
specific proposition to be submitted
Involves the organization of q fair
price association OF dealers to sell at
the food administration's margin Of
profits observed during the var.
Ing, the Citi:ens' Co-oDerative Buy
Ing LsaGuA win naeet to consider per-
mAnent organization.