Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-12
FOOD PRICES ARE
BOOSTED TOO HIGH
[Continued from First Page.1

markes him a fiat offer, perhaps for
the phole product. When secured he
may merely step across the aisle
and resell it at profit to another
farmer. He is the prime manipu-
lator of prices for he says to a
farmer: Hold on to sevent cents
for your eggs to-day" To show his
judgment he buys at sixty and does
actually sell at seventy cents.
Inspector Nebinger has also dis
covered another medium employed
to soak" the consumer, but the
blame in this case rests rather on
the consumer. You know" he re-
lated, many housekeepers in Har-
risburg are provided with a con-
venient telephone. e'he lady of the
house has the habit of reaching out
from her couch and calling up her
grocer and ordering him to do the
marketing. The grocer, thus be-
comes factor, and naturally his
operation means more to the con-
sumner and is a feature in boosting
prices"
What most stirs the City Inspector
is that on visiting Lancaster mar
kets last week he recognized some
fifty Harrisburgers, many of whom
are railroad employees and have
there. He also ogled a big number
of Philadelphians who come all the
way to Lancaster for foodstuffs be-
cause it is cheaper there than any
where else, reason for this being
that Lancaster drove out the broker
huckster.
Mr.. Nebinger puts up the fore
stallingA evil direct to the City Coun-
Gil with the following, presented in
his report yesterday: Prompt ac-
ton should be taken to overcome
and put a stop to it, as it makes it
almost impossible for the consum-
ers to get the benefits they should,
due to the fact that these dealers
WHO are guilty of forestalling buy
up and resell at an advance that
which should in all fairness be sold
direct to the consumer"
Nebinger did not start this drive
until he satisfied himself by min
ute investigation of the Lancaster
situation. He discovered that Ian
caster has the biggest curb market
in this country; 400 farmers gath
ering on the open street. He WIS.,
tied York and to-day said: 1.-TWO
weeks ago at York perfect fresh
eggs were selling for forty-two cents
per dozen, while they were charg-
ing seventy cents in Harrisburg, and
the eggs here were questionable. l
found dozens of Harrisburgers down
at York buying eggs, and made up
my mind there was something rot
ten, even if it was not the egg, in
Harrisburg"
Nebinger to-day received from
Lancaster a copy of its municipal
ordinance which did away with the
precise nuisance which is hand
cutting the Harrisburg markets. The
ordinance prohibits the buying or
contracting for any goods or pro-
visions on the way to the markets
of Lancaster; prohibits persons from
dissuading others from bringing
their goods or provisions to said
markets; prohibits persons from
persuading others to nehancep rices
of goods or provisions; prohibits the
buying of goods or provisions in the
markets and reselling same; pro-
vides penalties for all violations"
This is why Harrisburg goes to
market at Lancaster.
The Nebinger drive includes a
revival of the curb market in Har-
risburg, in Kelker street. between
Third and Fifth streets. Last Sat
urday one lone farmer showed up
He was the first to respond and is
the last. The farmers who did have
provisions there complained that
their help had been called into war
duties, but this one man stuck
Buyers, however, are plenty, 400 be-
ing there last market day, Tuesday
morning, and the demand is strong
for a great curb market as at Ian
| caster. That city gets a good profit
from this activity. Here but ter
cents is charged for stand on the
curb. but Lancaster gets as much a:
| $50 fro ma similar stand. Our loca
curb market is big enough to ac.
commodate 800 farmers. assure:
Nebinger. and the community needs
| the enterprise. and will get it if the
| City Council does its part,