Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-29
COOPERATION
TO LOWER COST
[Continued from First Pnge.1

purchase food supplies from the
country districts, usually there coll
lected in another schoolhouse and
transferred from schoolhouse to
schoolhouse by trucks of the Post
Office Department.
This is, the facilities of the Fed
eral government are used in a rea-
sonable way to reduce the time and
expense of getting food from the
producer to the consumer.
IN very many western cities
there are cooperative buying as
sociations of long experience, am
pie capital. and with successful
history. These are operated in
several ways. In one case, I am
informed, purchases are made by
the members of the association at
the current retail market rates, and
then there is dividend, and a very
substantial one, arising from the
profits that result.
I'm other cases the distribution is
at as near cost as can be comfortab-
ly figured, though it is harder to
operate in this fashion than where
fixed retail prices are assumed and
the profits distributed later.
Undoubtedly the working up of
cooperative buying relations in
Harrisburg would have very
| wholesome effect. 1t would elimi-
nate the market forestalling which
has been complained of and is being
| now legislated against. 1t would, If
properly managed, get good pro-
| prices because items could be had
directly at the farms, saving the
| purchaser the cost and delay of in
dividual marketing. 1t would give
equitable distribution to those con-
cerned at the selling end. There
| would also be the possibility of get
ting better things. for Harrisburg is
not a satisfactory market for many
| things, by reason of the failure OF
| the dealers involved to buy the best.
Very many times Harrisburg has
| either no good fruit or only poor
and second grade fruit when Balti-
more. Williamsport, Wilkes Barre,
and even smaller contiguous towns.
are enjoying the highest grade OF
Georgia peaches, for example, and
other similar advantages. For some
curious reason, there is a belief
| that Harrisburg purchasers do not
want the best and are content with
| second grade fruit items.
"It might be suggested that much
| of the present high-price situation
| is due to the uncontrolled food de-
sire of a large majority of buyers,
who purchase things at inordinate
prices rather than do without them.
Countless instances can be brought
| to mind of anyone who frequents
| the markets, of how high prices are
stimulated by reckless spending. If
those complaining of these high
prices would purchase only absolute
| necessities for a reasonable time, or
would agree collectively to offer a
fair price and no more, refusing to
purchase at extravagant figures,
there would soon be a changed
situation.
| Harrisburg lies in the center of
a richly productive region. A lit
tie organization could arrange CO.
perative buying and cooperative
distribution in such fashion as to
permit n considerable advantage to
those participating. Possibly the
Chamber of Commerce might un-
dertake to lead in this matter. We
| have schoolhouses as distributing
centers quite as convenient as those
| in Washington. There are literally
hundreds of idle government trucks
within the sight of many of us any
day. and Uncle Sam might be asked
to help some of his children keep
the cost of high living down a lit
| tle."