The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-08-01

/ for the cotton that went into the ging-
ham. lie exhibited some wolfe, cotton
socks, and cotton handkerchiefs also,
and weighed them, showing that the
farmer received q very small per-
centage OF the sum for which those
goods were sold to the ultimate con-
sumner.
Former Congressman Miller asked
William Bonat, a Georgetown meat
dealer. how. it was that he is able to
take 10 per cent less profit than 9TH
ers. Bonat replied it was purely q
matter of conscience and perhaps
business, too, for he didn't care to
charge as much as others. yet his
business was not injured. He could
not buy his articles any cheaper than
the others. he said, but because he
undersold them he was able to do
more business this year than ever be-
fore
Senator Capper was interested to
know If the packers maintained
agencies here and learned from Mr..
Bonat that Armour and Swift each
had agencies under the firm names
and also auxiliaries under different
names.
What's the reason for that?" asked
Senator Capper. ITO catch the custo-
mers both ways" replied Bonat.
Another witness.
Edward ]. Ward, of the Department
Of the Interior, who is associated with
the Postoffice Department in expert
tiers in conjunction with the parcel
! post. was another witness.
Mr.. Ward told of experiences in
| Park View where the community CEN
| ter is being used for cooperative buy
ing and selling. Use is made OF the
parcel post for marketing purposes,
he explained, with great satisfaction.
Fresh eggs direct from the farms
are sold to members OF the Park View
community center at 4S cents a dozen,
whereas, the same eggs are BRING
ing 60 cents and up in the city. Park
View citizens, for example, were pay
ing 40 cents quart for oysters while
other Washingtonians were paying
so cents. AS much as 500 dozen eggs
a week are disposed of to Park View
residents, Mr.. Ward said, and Wednes-
day a carload of fresh vegetables
were sold at cheaper prices than any
where else in the District.
The Postoffice Department, he de-
clared. is undertaking to establish
such cooperative community centers
in conjunction with postofices all
over the country eventually. The
proposition would enable the centers
to act as general clearing houses fer
residents. affording direct and
cheaper method o: obtaining food
from the farmers.
Stall Renting Il Factor.
Col. c. A. Williams. U. S. A., retired.
market conditions in Washington, told
the committee that the methods of
renting stalls in the city markets I'M
doubtedly was a factor in keeping
prices higher. The other day he went
to Center Market and purchased two
pounds Of tomatoes for Is cents from
a woman who had a small stand out
side the market. Inside the market
he was charged 80 cents for the same
quantity. The system by which it
was necessary to lease the market
stalls by the year, he said, was an
extra expense to the dealer, who does
not keep open the entire year, with
a consequence that the people had to
pay the additional expense in higher
prices.
Capt. T Common, an Englishman,
gave a general idea OF the co-opera-
tive marketing system in England. 1t
has enabled the people to keep prices
from soaring exorbitantly, he declar-
ed, and advocated the establishment
of cooperative societies that would
conduct markets. bakeries, resta-
rants and even laundries. There are
200 such societies in England, he said,
doing a business Of twenty million
pounds sterling a year.