Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1919-10-16

"Farmers Line" Along the G
prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
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
q competent manager who diligently
enforces 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.
II system of municipal markets is
not so operated as to provide a plac"
where people can purchase food more
cheaply than at other food distribut-
ing agencies. the system Is not justi-
fled. the specialists believe. While 1t
Is true that public markets are useful
in that they assemble and make read
lily available a 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
fcOmpetitiOn which will stimulate pri-
vate food dispensing agencies to oper-
ate more efficiently and to charge low
er prices than they would IL 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.
l The first essential to a successful
market Is competent well-informed
and progressive manager. A man ia
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 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 market has never come
up to expectations and the commu-
nifty which 1t is intended to serve. as
we'll 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-
dition to having satisfactory equip
ment he must make and enforce strict
" good. practical sanitary regulations
governing NE methods Of doing bust
ness on the part of the dealers in the
market. To do this. he must be given
almost dictatOrial powers and not be
INSTRUCTED by politics or other outside
Influences.
Renting Market Stalla
Most successful markets rent the
stalls from month to month. BY this
method. no question Of long lease
will interfere with ejecting dealer
in case he refuses to conduct his bust
rules and regulations and n the best
interests Of the market as a whole.
All equipment, such as counters, racks.
cold storage boxes and. il possible,
computing scales should be owned by
the city. SO that no dealer will acquire
property rights in the permanent fix
lures in the stall.
The manager should exert every ef-
fort to attract dealers Of the best
type to the market. He should re-
quire all occupants of stalls to keep
simple. uniform records. which should
be available for his examination
so that he can ascertain at least
the volume Of business Of each dealer,
the dealers cost Of doing business and
his net profits.
In all his efforts to better merchan-
d,sing methods in the market, the
manager should keep in mind two fun
damental things: D To justify the
existence OF the market. consumers
must obtain food more cheaply than
it can be obtained from most private
stores: {2) to induce the dealers to
make this cheaper food possible they
must be given greater aggregate re-
turn than il they We're in business
merely as private storekeepers The
competent manager. If given adequate
powers by the city. can accomplish
both aims. One of the first regula-
tionS should be to strip from the price
of food products aS completely as pos
Sihle all charges for service normally
hidden In the price. 4 dollar spent in
the market should hiring dollar
worth OF food. rot, say. 81 cents worth
1T food ~ cents worth "f delivery
and s cents worth al credit, The ma
.iority Of those who hny in The N. rke'
nay cash and carry AWAY their pur-
.-kaxaS L. l. -. s..sttA lrnfair