The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-23
OPEN AIR MARKET
WOULD CUTH. C.L.
ON MANY ARTICLES
Plan Talked of for Ten Years
ard Often Opposed, May Be
in Operation Within An
other Month in Memphis.

movement that promises more re-
outts ~ the way OF reducing the nigh
Sosl ~ Ewing than all the laws and
regulations that may or may not be
PASSED by congress or state legisla "
phis. !" "eH
II is not a new movement. for a
lew Iar-slghted men n women have
peeh trying FOR 10 years to get some
action on the plan to bring the pro-
Queer and consumer closer together
ana 10 eliminate the cost of Distribution
OF foodstuffs and the profits and com
missions OF half a dozen middle men
through whose hands so much ) food
passes before it reaches the housewifs,s
pantry or kitchen.
advocates Of free open-air markets
IN Memphis have explained their plans
year after year. Committees have been
appointed and have discussed the ne
cesstty of getting the farmer and the
housewife in touch with each other
The parcel post has been used some
what, but very little in this section.
N bringing country produce to the city
Too Much Handling.
There seems no answer to the srcu.
ment that II the farmers and gardeners
on one side and the city and small
town buyers on the other had some
common meeting place, the city people
could get scores of articles of food
Tor much less money thar thew have
to pay when such things are shipped in
IRON the country, pass through the
hands OF a commission merchant. then
perhaps to a jobber, then to the retail
store or the huckster's wagon,
Jonn w. Farley. who has studied
the marketing problem from every
angle for several years, is drawing an
ordinance for introduction before the
city commission, which will provide for
at least one free market. He is act
ing in this instance for committees from
the City club, the Lions club and
the Kiwanis club, which have given
some study to the high cost of living
which everyone in this country is talk
ing about.
Mr., Farley wrote an exhaustive treA-
tise on municipal marketing seven years
ago, when the municipal market was
Iirst proposed, and he has given the
subject much thought and investigation
since that time. The municipal market
is to be built, but that alone will not
solve the problem, and 1t will not be
completed for a year. But the people
need relief from the high costs of food
right now. U--
Market at Courthouse.
Mr.. Farley's idea is to nave the OPEN
air market established on Second
street, with permission for farmers to
place their wagons all around the
county courthouse and at the back OF
he central police station. That is
public property, and the wagons or
trucks would not interfere with any
private business, yet would be within
reach of everyone in the city in a
central location.
Suitable regulations would be made,
allowing farmers to remain on the
streets during certain hours in the
morning and possibly an hour or two
In the afternoon, every day, and all
day on Saturday until the usual closing
time of the retail stores.
. Opposition to such a plan has always
In the past developed from the renters
Of stalls in the Beale avenue market
house and the hundreds OF hueksters.
Five or six years ago Thomas Dies,
then a member Of the city commission,
In charge of. public utilities grounds
and buildings, planned similar markets
at several points, one in the north
near Market square, which was orig
inally intended for such a purpose. an
other in the south and a third at some
point on Cooper street. But the plans
were never carried out.
Mr.. Farley, working with members
Of the three committees, is, in addi-
ton to drawing the proposed ordinance,
working on data which will show that
many kinds of farm produce are selling
right now on the farms for a third
less than the prices paid at retail In
the grocery stores. The grocers are
not to blame. Vegetables and fruits
spoil rapidly after being days in tran
sit from the farm to the grocery store.
The retail merchant cannot come out
whole, much less make a reasonable
profit, unless he gets from so to 100
per cent profit on such p~erishable stuff.
Many grocers would prefer not to
handle fresh fruits and p~erishable
vegetables at all, If their customers
did not demand it. q
The ship-by-truck plan that is being
developed by Memphis automobile
dealers, and that is being advocated
by various government agencies could
be profitably used in connection with
such a free open-air marketing plan.
1t would not seem that 1t would be
necessary to have an ordinance dealing
with the subject, but the city authori-
ties have ~intifpated that they prefer
to have the matter handled In that
way. Certainly there seems to be
small probability Of any considerable
reduction in the cost of farm produce
until the consumer and the producer
do find some way of getting closer to-
gether, and thousands of people will
| welcome the inauguration of the Open-