Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-11
WATERMELON PRICES
BEING INVESTIGATED
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
408 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, D. c., July s.
Determined to find out why a water.
melon that sells in Georgia for 3 to
20 cents costs $3.50 in New York,
Representative Clarence MacGregor,
Republican, New York, said Satur-
day that he had started an \investi'
cation in cooperation with govern
ment officials.
The Atlanta Journal recently pub
lished a New York dispatch saying
that Georgia melons were selling at
$3.50 in New York, and that the
middleman was believed responsible
for the excessive spread between the
price received by the Georgia pro-
Queer and the price demanded Of the
consumer in the northern markets.
Representative MacGregor said he
Intended to find out why this is,
and that in cooperation with the
secretary of commerce he is going
to frame legislation against some OF
the practices and profits of distribu-
tors and middlemen. Representa-
tives MacGregor has found, for in
stance, that the watermelons selling
in New York for $3.50 each were
brought to Jersey City and sold
wholesale to New York buyers at
Ga cents each. Their cost in Geor-
gia ranged from 8 to II IL cents.
California cantaloupes are carried
across the country to the Jersey
City terminal for less than it costs
to get them over into Harlem, the
Bronx, or almost anywhere else in
New York city, according to Mr..
MacGregor.
These are instances, he said, OF
what is going on with regard to
fresh vegetables and fruits general
ly. AS if natural conditions were not
enough to keep the price up the
middlemen, he declared, are creating
scarcity by artificial means and
jumping the price in this way. That
IS how they get around the excessive
production of the country which, If
the law of supply and demand operat-
ed we would tend, naturally, to re-
duce prices.
millions upon millions Of dollars
worth Of vegetables" Mr.. Mac
Gregor said, "are being thrown away
in the large cities every year to bull
the markets. This makes it possible
for the middleman to keep up prices,
the cost of living is increasing. l
am informed it advanced last month
| about one per cent. The people can
not get the goods they ought to have
cheap on account of the great cost
Of distribution. He would make it
impossible for the distributors to de
eide when vegetables are to be de-
stroyed by creating arbitration
boards for the purpose. Under the
practice now in vogue a merchant
who may not want to receive them
when prices are low protests shat
they are spoiled and has them
thrown away. Mr.. McGregor said
he thinks that if arbitration boards
could decide what the fact is the
tendency would be to force m )re
vegetables into the hands of the re-
| tailers and thus prevent a price ad-
vance,
1t was recalled by Mr.. McGregor
today that year or two ago ship
!nent of Irish potatoes were to be
dumped in New York harbor when
Commissioner of Markets O'Malley
rescued them. Finding them in ex-
cellent condition he ordered them
distributed free on the streets. Mr..
! MacGregor intends to make a care
full study of all distributing condi-
tions.
1.-THE middlemen complain" he
said, that they should be left alone
because they are performing a use
full function. Too many of them are
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