Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-08-22
prepared by the United States Depart
r1enT Of

prepared by the United States Depart
menL OF Agricultural
Vigilance is the price not only of
liberty but of successful cooperative
marketing. A city cooperative market
may have fine buildings and equip
ment, but unless it is supervised by
competent manager who diligently
eEforces a well-worked-out system of
operation, the enterprise will sooner
or later fail. This is the rock on
which practically all unsuccessful mar
kets have broken, say city mar
keting specialists of the United States
department of agriculture.
If a system of municipal markets is
not so operated as to provide a place
where people can purchase food more
cheaply than at other food distribut
ing agencies, the system is not justi-
fed, the specialists believe. While it
is true that public markets are useful
in that they assemble and make read
lily available large assortment of GER
tain products, some of which might
otherwise be wasted, this is of rela-
lively minor Importance in determin-
ing. the markets success. Well-oper-
ated markets may also benefit prac-
| tically all consumers by furnishing
competition which will stimulate pri-
vate food dispensing agencies to oper-
ate more efficiently and to charge low
er prices than they would if the COM
petition of the markets did not exist.
But public markets cannot bring low
er prices unless the cost of operation
is less in them than elsewhere. This
is largely the problem of the market
manager.
Give Manager Unhampered Field.
The first essential to a successful
market is a competent, well-informed
and progressive manager. A man fa-
miliar with modern merchandising
methods should be procured even if
the salary asked is more than at first
seems necessary. No private COM
mercial enterprise would think of plac-
ing a plant in which 100000 or more
has been invested in charge Of an in
competent, poorly-paid manager. This
has been done, however, by some city
markets with very unsatisfactory re-
suits. Such a market has never come
up to expectations and the commu-
nifty which it is intended to serve, as
well as many observers, have been
led rightly to question the work Of
the whole municipal market idea.
The manager must have an unham-
pered field in which to work. In ad-
ditlOn to having satisfactory equip
ment he must make and enforce strict
ly good, practical sanitary regulations
governing the methods of doing busi-
ness on the part of the dealers in the
market. To do this, he must be given
almost dictatorial powers and not be
obstructed by politics or other outside
influences.
Renting Market Stalls.
Most successful markets rent the
stalls from month to month. By this
method, no question of a long lease
: will interfere with ejecting dealer
in case he refuses to conduct his bust
2 ness in accordance with the market
} rules and regulations and in the bes1
: interests of the market as a whole
All equipment, such as counters, racks
] cold-storage boxes and, if possible
5 computing scales, should be owned b!
the city, so that no dealer will acquire
property rights in the permanent fix
L lures in the stall.
The manager should exert every eff
fort to attract dealers of the bes
= type to the market. He should re
' I.quire all occupants of stalls to keel
simple, uniform records, which shoult
be available for his examination
so that he can ascertain at leas
the volume of business of each dealer
the dealers cost of doing business an
his net profits.
'' In all his efforts to better merchan
, dising methods in the market, tn
manager should keep in mind two fur
+ damental things: Q) To justify tn
existence of the market, consumer
:, must obtain food more cheaply tha
q it. can be obtained from most privat
stores; (2) to induce the dealers t
y make this cheaper food possible, the
- must be given a greater aggregate n
turn than if they were in bushes
- merely as private storekeepers. Th
~ competent manager, if given adequat
powers by the city, can accomplis
both aims. One of the first regul;
Is tions should be to strip from the priC
) OF food products as completely as po
t. sible all charges for service normal
v hidden in the price. A dollar spent
a. the market should bring a dollar
10 worth of food, not, say, S5 cents wort
III of food, 10 cents worth of deliver
ey and cents worth of credit. The m
Ill iority of those who buy in the mark
e pay cash and carry away their pu
al chases. 1t is manifestly unfair
e make them pay higher prices in ord
al that someone else may take adva
ng tage of the so-called free delivery al
free credit One of the first rules
nj a market, therefore, should be tn
OF dealers will not be permitted to gra
ly credit or deliver goods at the dealer
es expense.
he Smaller Profits.
re The market manager should ms
is' TO dealers in the market that the So
ings effected by them as compar
with outside dealers, by reason of t
lower rentals and the absence of {
lis livery and credit expenses, should
nd passed on to the consumer in low
ey-
ior
1g Stirring Cream.