The Washington herald., 1920-02-16
DEALERS WANT
PRODUCE PLANT
Suggestion Of Scalco to Beat
He. L. by Municipal
Building Pleases.
SENATE INVESTIGATION
All Say System Would Aid
Merchants and People
Equally.

The plan of Salvatore Scaico.
president of the National Fruit Com
pany. to cut the high cost of living
in the District by the construction
of central municipal storage plant,
is gaining converts
Mr.. Scalco. who submitted his
plan to members of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, Commissioner
officials, and to large fruit and vege-
table brokers, has received favora-
BILE replies.
The plan which Mr.. Scalco laid
before these officials was for the
erection in a central locality of a
municipal storage plant which
would be divided into booths and
sections and rented to District mer-
chants.
Aids Railroads
The plant would be reached by
sidings from the railroads. thus per-
mitting prompt unloading of cars
and relieving the prevalent car
shortage. The fruit and other per-
ishables would Immediately be put
into cold storage. where they could
be brought out on the platforms in
sample lots.
Here is where Mr.. Scalco would
cut the high cost of living. Under
present conditions merchants must
remove from storage and haul to
places of business a sufficient
amount OF fruit and perishables to
supply their customers during the
day often a larger amount Is taken
out than sold. This surplus amount
often becomes unstable. AS a re-
suit the merchants must place a suf-
hciently high price upon their wares
to cover all probable depreciation.
Eliminate Carriage.
Another item which would be
eliminated under the Scalco plan
would be the carriage from the rail-
road yards to cold storage and then
from cold storage to the store
where SALES are made. The Ma
tionsl Fruit Company alone. Mr..
Scalco says. pays approximately
100000 a year for this service.
Commissioner Brownlow. reply
ing to Mr.. Scalco's letter. said:
The suggestion which you make
concerning the establishment of n
wholesale market with adequate
transportation facilities in order to
effect economies in the handling of
the food supply of the city has
for a long time engaged my thought.
Indeed. before the United States
entered the war, I had considered
plans for such a wholesale market
but the war made necessary the
abandonment of any such idea.
willing to Investigate.
Certainly. I will accept your
suggestion that I investigate the
matter, and II 1 can find any jus
titication for a revival Of my for
n'er plans I will be very glad to do
50, and will let you know"
Senator L. Y. Sherman. chairman
of the Senate District Committee.
in replying to the letter of Mr.
Scalco. declared there is some good
sense in your proposals." He prom
ised that in due time the commit
tee would take the matter in hand.
Senator l. Heisler Ball. OF Del
aware, chairman Of the Senate COM
mittee which Investigated the high
cost of living in the District. said:
II feel that there is sufficient
thought in your letter to submit
= to the Committee on District of
Columbia. so 1 am sending a copy
to the chairman Of our committee" T"
Thomas Fayors Plan.
Your suggestions. said Senator
Thomas of Colorado. seem to me to
be of great value and 1 will submit
them to the appropriate committee
Of the Senate
Your logic is unanswerable," de-
clarcd Saitta and Jones, large New
York fruit brokers. I'VE would like
to see something Of that order car
ried out in Washington as well as
a number of other cities"
w. W. Bowie, local freight agent