The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-12
MARKET EXPERT
TO SURVEY THE
LOCAL PROBLEM
Mayor and Others Want Curb
Food Markets Established
in Memphis Without Delay.
Await Expert Advice.

bhNNlhb Il CONFERENCE at IL dlfis
Monday with Mayor Paine, McFall Ker-
hey, of Washington, manager Of the
city marketing and distributing section
of the bureau of markets, began
survey of Memphis with view to
making recommendations as to the most
practical method to pursue in the es-
Establishment of a municipal curb mar
ket, or markets. MIR. Kerbey will be
assisted in his Investigations by COM
mlttee composed of S. G. Hodges, chair
man of the combined committee on
market from several Memphis organiZa-
tons; DR.. TAFT Butler OF the Cham
Der Of Commerce farm bureau commit
tee; w. G.. Watson, director of markets
for the Chamber of Commerce farm
bureau; Mrs. John o, Flaut and Mrs.
+. +, Kelley.
After Investigating local conditions
Mr.. kerbey win have to recommend a
location for the proposed curb market
and say whether he thinks it will be
better to establish one centrally located
market or several neighborhood mar
kets
Upon his arrival in the city Monday
morning, Mr.. kerbey would not under
take to express any dogmatic opinions
of what should be done here. What he
may conclude will be determined large
y by conditions as he finds them, in
fluenced of course by his wide eX-
perience of municipal market as prac-
tice in other cities of the country.
Mayor Paine, DR.. Z. R. Lloyd and
c. w. Watson, director and market d.
rector of the farm bureau, are debating
the question of whether 1t Is best to
establish only one market to begin with
or several The mayor at present is
inclined to the idea of several markets,
located In different sections of the city,
the idea being that in this way the
convenience of the housewives will best
be served. But DR.. Lloyd and others
are not sure, nor is the mayor, that
there are enough market gardeners
prepared to do business in Memphis TO
permit of the establishment of more
than one market center.
The general purpose, however, is to
establish at the earliest possible date
at least one open-air, curb market,
where the producer Of foodstuffs and
the housewife may meet and trade
without restrictions.
According TO Or. Lloyd there are two
fundamental difficulties to overcome to
make such a market successful. First,
the producer of foodstuffs, or the
gardener must be persuaded to bring
his stuff to the market and next the
housewife must be persuaded to buy at
the market. The gardeners have been
used to disposing of what produce they
brought into the city TO hucksters,
while the housewife has been used to
ordering her vegetables from the
huckster or at grocery store and
having them delivered. Both habits
must he broken.
Too Many Importations.
Another thing: Some means will have
to be adopted TO enable the producer
to make profitable disposal of his sur
plus each day when the market closes.
It win not be convenient and profitable
for the gardener to stay on the market
after noon, Or, Lloyd said, and he must
then either carry his surplus home or
sell it, II he sells it to the hucksters
he will virtually have TO let it go for
nothing. The solution OF this. DR..
Lloyd thinks, is the establishment of
cold storage plant, which can purchase
the producers surplus each day at a
reasonable profit and store it until such
time as a carload shipment may he
made up for some Eastern or Northern
point,
The great possibilities before the
farmers Of the tri-state territory for
the sale Of vegetables, poultry and
dairy products in Memphis are clearly
indicated In a survey just completed
by Mr., watson. Of a few of the staple
products consumed in Memphis. BY
questioning local iobbers and wholesale
produce dealers, it was ascertained that
50 per cent Of the poultry and eggs
consumed in Memphis is imported from
other territories 81 per cent Of the
butter S per cent Of the sweet pota-
toes, 30 per cent Of the Irish potatoes,
90 per cent of the onions and 50 per
cent Of the cabbage.
There is absolutely no barrier to the
unlimited production OF either OF these
products in the tri-state territory, DR.
Lloyd said. We have as fine Irish no.
tato soil In this territory as there Is in
the country. and the finest onions may
be and have been grown here. Large
quantities of summer cabbage and even
winter cabbage can be produced if
properly cultivated. OF course there Is
no barrier to the production of poultry.
eggs and butter. And the bureau takes
the position that these percentages of
foodstuffs imported should be cut
down to minimum and the farmers Of
this territory not only produce what
Memphis requires hut enough surplus
for export to other cities. In only one
instance cited here--that of sweet no
tatoes-aro the growers of this sec
ton taking advantage Of their oppor-
tunities."
Or. Lloyd told another Instance OF
failure to exploit opportunities for ter
ritory production, one hundred and
fifty TO POO carloads of grapes are con-
| stunned in Memphis every year, he said,
one-third OF these are ConCords from
Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York,
while lwo-thirds come from California,
But this is a great country for the
production of grapes he said