New Britain herald., 1923-06-04
'NEW YORK'S MARKET
 SYSTEM CONDEMNED.
Public Itsfll Responsible for the
 High Prices

New York, June IA fiRiekY pal,
 ate and the rhig-maTket habit gre
 The principal reasons why New York,
 CTS nay 50 much more for fruit and
 vegetables than lhs producing farmer | gets for them, says report prepared i by Walter F, Hsdden for the depart,
 meRt of agriculture and the pert sf
 New York authority,
 In the first place, it requires lii,- { GOO carloads Of the stun each year 70 satisfy the hungeFs Of the eily's
 s,60,h00 persons and all Of fl, as the first step in distribution from rail. head n consumer is dumped in Gen. tral Market narrow stretch exr tending for 6 few blocks along the West Side waterfront Of Manhattan,
 This custom has grown up, MF, Hadden explains, because all the iob- beFs Of the city insist on seeing all the hewly-arFiyed fruit and Vegeta. bles, and on comparing rivals prices. before they will buy, Thus attempts 10 break the dominance Of the een- tral market have failed.
 Then the problem Of diversity arises, A few years ago, the report indicates. the public appetite accept. cd it's produce in bulk-oranEes for breakfast, always, or perhaps apples. and few potatoes, onions and other common vegetables throughout the week.
 Must Have special Deliveries.
 Now the average housewife must have California grapefruit for her breakfast table one day. Florida grape fruit the next. Oregon apples the fourth. Michigan peaches the next, continuing with fruits Of vary ing cline. Going through the day of meals she will require celery. com mon lettuce. iceberg lettuce. spinach. escarole, romaines, etc, without end.
 Thus the shipper, the Jobber, the wholesaler. the retailer and, perhaps the orner-store-grocery are con- fronted with the necessity of distribut- ing an infinite number Of part-car lots, part truck shipments. part crates and split packages. With each trans- fer the element of perishability in- creases and the cost per unit to the ultimate consumer goes up, says MT. Hadden.
 A ship from the gulf or ferry of | carloads from New Jersey terminal lands at Manhattan in the evening. 1 All night stevedores unload 1t and ar range it for display in the central | market.
 Space is SO limited that many com- panies keep motor and horse trucks in line for hours, to get early loads Between ship or car and truck is op- erated motor shuttle service. to save 'oom and prevent thievery. This costs '20 a car for unloading, Mir. Haddam figures.
 Shuttle Ford Trucks
 The shuttle loads the waiting trucks, which haul the produce to five out ying Jobbers' markets. .Ibe cost is '35 q car in Manhattan; W7 in liar em. The wholesaler makes his pur- hases at the jobbers and hauls them way with his own trucks. Cost. bout s25 car Then he delivers o the retailer, adding another s25 a ar to the ultimate cost of the fruit nd vegetables.
 The retailer, If he delivers to his D ustomers adds the cost to his bill.
 Nothing is more certain in regard 0 the handling of fruits and vege- ( ables at New York city than that the l criminal facilities now provided are ] apidly becoming utterly inadequate" } Mir. Hadden's conclusion. It is this { roblem of terminals and the rapid istrlbution of food that the Port f New York authority, aided by the : apartment of agriculture, has set out ! ! solve