The Washington times., 1919-08-30
BASKET SALE
BY FARMERS
WAS FIASCO
Back-to-the-Farm Sale Proves
Joke When Agrarians Boost
Prices Sky-High.
~ BILL PRICE.

ny BILL PRICE.
The District Commissioners having
directed George NJ. Roberts. superin-
tendent Of markets. weights, and
measures, to set aside a portion OF
the farmers market, at Louisiana
avenue and Tenth street northwest,
for retail sales by farmers to the
consuming public that official is now
at work on plans for putting into ef-
feet an attempt to enable the wash
inEt0n housewife 20 deal directly with
the men who produce vegetables and
fruits
Mr. Roberts some days ago recon-
mended TO the Commissioners that
steps be taken TO compel farmers TO
put some Of their truck in small par
GELS or packages for sale to house
keepers seeking q cheaper market
through refusal TO sell farmers stal
space in the event they declined to
cooperate in a movement to cut out
the middleman.
This farmers market has for years
allured many theorists to discuss leg
islation for bringing the producer and
consumer into closer touch through q
'back-to-the-market-ba idea, by
which Washington housewives would
hop out OF their beds about 8 O'Clock
in the morning and go right down to
the farmers and buy one cucumber,
one carrot, one turnip, one ear OF
corn and 50 on at prices way below
what she now pays the huckster,
whose profits are enormous, or the
retailer.
That Basket MOvement.
Still Iured BY this idea, there was
heavy newspaper advertising last
week OF this market basket" move
ment and all the housewives Of Wash
ingt0n we're invited to the market
at o'clock that morning to buy their
vegetables and fruits very. cheap OF
the farmers.
This market, belonging to the Dis
trict is rented In small spaces each
morning TO farmers as they arrive, the
spaces being sufficient to back their
wagons and trucks into position for
disposal Of their goods under the big
sheds. The farmers bring their
products into Washington in quauti-
ties for sale to retail merchants,
hucksters, hotels and large consumers
In putting up their parcels they
often hnd small quantities left over,
which they bring along and dispose
OF g frugal housekeepers who pass
along and bargain for these small
lots. The market has for years been
primarily a wholesale market al
though there should be provisions for
encouraging farmers to bring their
produce to the market in smaller
units.
ne Market Basket Procession.
Headed by noted District officials.
the procession OF housewives, each
with baskets on their arms, was led
along throlSh the big sheds and told
how easy Il would be to save IS cents
on each So worth Of vegetables
bought through direct dealing with
the farmers.
After the preliminaries the shop
pers started out earnestly in quest Of |
bargains. They were astonished TO |
ind that there were few farmers with |
retail quantities Of vegetables or
fruits on hand and that the prices |
Tor these were eXorbitaut Egg plants |
were quoted at IS cents each They |
could be bought in the stores for Is |
cents.
Something had gone wrong. Butt
back on the farms around Washing /
ton the next day the farmers chuck |
led and told stories TO the effect that /
they had received instructions from |
the commission men 70 hoist prices on 1
little lots and word from their reEu- |
lar buyers that II they began selling /
10 the public they could not expect /
the buyers TO continue doing busi-
ness with them
That is said to be the true situa-
tion as TO the maFket-basket iasco. /
Farmers are often unable to personal
" bring their produce to town. and i
are compelled TO send IL to commits
sion men to dispose OF. They cannot /
afford to get "in bad" with commits
sion men or with their regular buy
ers,
VIII Try Retail Plan.
The Crr1nafeefova-a /
ed TO the idea Of blocking on part OF
the market for farmers who are will
ing TO sell in small lots to house
keepers, but here again several OBJ
staeles present themselves.
As at the fsh market, for instance,
the District has no law by which
prices 10 be charged may be regu- /
lated. The farmer will attempt TO
get for his produce practically as
much as the middleman sells Il for.
He makes his plea that the trouble
Of handling in small lots costs him
more money and that he must sell
for higher prices than at wholesale.
He wants TO get back to his farm
early every day and he could not do
this IL in the retail business. Dis
posing Of his goods at wholesale ne
is enabled to get away quickly and
resume his work OF planting, cultI-
Vating and preparing for market
again the next day.
In spite OF the drawbacks, the Com
missioners are going 10 develop the
experiment and watch the results
They have no way Of compelling
farmers TO 80 into retail business,
but they hope that many Of them will
turn 70 this idea and that good re-
suits will follow.
Along the sidewalk south Of Center
Market, on B street, the farmers who
sell there in retail Quantities obtain
lcbout as muchFfor their products as
IS charged inside the market. They
claim that their goods are "fresher."
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
The Board Of Education will meet !