Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-03
Highways and By-Ways
Of Lii OF New York
Y R A Y NJ o " D
lcop,.eht. b PUBLIC Ledgat coupanyl =

NEW YORK, June 3-The hand that
feeds and adorns New otk Cit.F Is as for
eign as the hand that picks Inc American
pocket In Europe One does nor need To
go abroad 10 be robbed y foreigners
There are approximately { 20 retailers
of foods, fruits and flowers in the greater
city and 30 per cent ara foreign born.
With respect 10 the prices charged for
their wares there's no check whatever
upon this polyglot alien army. True, the
hoard of health attempts to maintain a
standard Of quality and the bureau Of
weights and measures seeks to guarantee
quality hy an oversight Of the tools If
trade, hut as to prices the-e IS no SUPER
vision. municipal, State or Federal
That is condition that should b. made
known to the people Of the rited States
Tor il explains III measure the ruthless
attitude of our foreign born New York
shopkeepers and street peddlers toward
all who wish 10 buy whether they be
strangers or local residents.
That .the COCO, COO stand for this
foreign invasion cannot be explained on
the theory that New York Is aItoEet her
foreign itself for only 81 per cent Of the
population of the metropolis il foreign
born Hence - per cent or nearly iHn
De0 native born Americans let about -
100 foreign born shoFkecpers rid,s rough
shod over them and get away with II. day
in and day out. Ii is almost unbesiey-
able
Your correspondent visited i've Italian
fruit stands and stores around Thirty
Fourth street aud Broadway. which is the
heart of Manhattan Island The lowest
prices obtained. after severe bar@afnins
was 10 cents for a pinched quart 81 poor
quality strawberries and - cents for an
equally emaciated quart Of cherries.
An American florist ia Kingston. y y.
for 81 box. plus postage, IS sending as
sorted fresh cHt flowers 10 New Workers
One of these boxes arrived in Central
Park West home. With tho purpose of
seeing what local florists We're charging
Tor the same quantity ana quality OF
flowers, a canvass Of florists aISu was
made with the discovery that tbe cheap
+st duplication Of the ideatical assert
ment was 50 If 80 per cent excess is
not profiteering, then what Is.
The amazing feature Of the ruthless
gouging of the public By fore! sn-horn
retailers OF New York City Is tie Mute
attitude Of the local press with respect
I" the matter, doubtless fearing te offend
this or that nationality engaged in gar
roting the public and forgetting the VIC
TINS are both foreign born and Iative-
born.
The retail flower trade Of the metropo-
lis is virtually controlled by Greeks, tne
majority of whom have not taken out
their first papers AMI never propose t.
become American citizens.
Flowers being the smiles or tht
ordinarily stern countenance Of nature
one has 10 contrast the conditions of tho
Deal trade with that Of I.ondon Paris
and other European capitals, where, III
liberal fashion, provision Is made for Tho
easy distribution at reasonable prices Of
cut flowers fresh from the gardens. The
reflection over there is found in happy
countanances under the gentle influence
OF the glorious rose, the ianguid hya-
cinth and other floral repositories of
perfume and color.
Aside from d few expensive shops IN
Fifth avenue and other main arteries Of
travel, New York gets all It's flowers
from Greeks, come 200 Of them occupy
Ing stores and stands and operating
push carts or carrying baskets under the
municipal peddiers' license which cost,
- year. The mental attitude of TIE
Greek florist, rs well as the Italian frrl't
stealer despite al, The uush written
about them by sentimental surface Wit
ersl, is never TO charge for an article
what it Is worth with fair profit
added, but to demand whatever they
think prospective customer can be
forced to pay, and then slowly come
down In price as the anger OF the Amer
'can citizen mounts. In fact they In