Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-15
HOW CITIES CAN HELP
REDUCE LIVING COST

Of the abuses now complained OF will
be eliminated.
4 X
Under authority of Congress the
bureau Of markets now has stan OF
inspectors and they are called upon
daily to adjust differences between
shippers and commission houses. But
their numbers are too few to render
anything like the service required OF
them. 1t is the belief of those VINO
are making a study of the SITUATION
that this inspection work should be
taken over by the municipalities. as
well also the essential function OF
price reporting.
Acting under a wartime grant OF
authority, the federal bureau OF mar
kets established price reporting IN
large number of cities and a very
useful service was rendered. But
Congress cut off the appropriation
and the work had to be abandoned.
What is urged as needed is a daily
market-reporting service In each city.
conducted by the city authorities and
given publicity through the newspa-
pers and in other ways. The report
should include the price paid by the
wholesaler or commission house. the
price paid by the retailer and the
price charged the consumer. NO
great amount of proffteering could
withstand such pitiless publicity.
In addition to the price lists. a
feature of the daily report should be
the condition Of the market as to
abundance or meagerness Of supplies.
This would be a guide, not only for
the housewife. but also for the ship
per- A number of cities already have
inaugurated such service. and the
reports Of resultant benefits are alto
gether favorable.
+ \ \
There are strong advocates of a
license requirement for wholesale
distributors that they sell to con-
sumers at the same price made to
the retail trade in all cases where
the consumer will make his own
deliveries and will buy in original
package quantities, or. in the case
Of bulk goods, in the units Of whole
sale transactions. This would enable
Mr. and Mrs. Smith to take the civ
a barrel of flour, a bag OF potatoes.
a crate of fruit or hamper of vege-
tables at the same price the corner
grocer paid. This. it is argued, would
be better regulator than any law
on the profits Of the, corner grocer.
II the margin he asked was no more
than commensurate with the service
he rendered. Mr.. and Mrs Smith
would buy Of him rather than bother
going to the terminal market. But,
should he attempt to mark his prices
up to the prohteering point-there
being full publicity as to just what
his goods had cost him-his store
soon would be minus customers.
+ + + 4
The cry throughout. the country
and the world is for production and
still more production. II too many
men are engaged in distribution some
of them should be turned loose and
Distribution is as essential, Of course,
as is production; but the public mind
cannot be swerved from belief that
distribution engages the, services of
an unnecessarily large number of
men. There are no non essential pro-
ducers of necessary things
Complaint as to the high cost of
ia oil Sf
equal unanimity in charging that the
middleman is very much to blame.
From every section OF the country
the query pours into Washington:
why doesn't the government dc
something about it?"
Omcial Washington is beginning to
answer back: do something about II
yourself"
In a great many states city councils
already have all the authority they
need to take over regulation of their
local distributors and to insure that
price publicity which is recognized
as the most promising remedy so far
advanced. In states where the au-
thority Is lacking the legislatures
will grant it If the municipalities will
but make known their wants.
If the cost Of living ever is to be
brought down, e. start must be made
somewhere. There is no good reason
why this start should not be made in
Oshkosh or Kalamazoo. But Oshkosh
and Kalamazoo have formed the
habit, along with the rest of the
country, of looking to Congress to
do it. They seem willing to throw the
old theory of states rights into the
discard and to join former Tammany
statesman in demanding to know:
What is the Constitution among
friends?"