Evening star., 1924-01-06

ment experts demonstrated to the deal
ers the fault in this. Now, since the
latter park their cars at appointed
spots some distance from their stands.
much more automobile trade has been
attracted to Center Market.
The Center Market dealers used to
shun advertising. Everybody in
Washington knows where Center Mar
ket is and that we are here to serve
them." was their alibi for not patroniz-
ing the public press. Uncle Sam, when
he stepped in, Immediately urged the
inception Of cooperative advertising,
featuring the central location OF Center
Market and the vast variety of products
that 1t offered Each stand d-holder now
pays SIZE a week for cooperative ad-
vertisements. This novel publicity pro-
gram has markedly increased business
receipts.
The accounting experts of the De-
partment of Agriculture have evolved
simple and satisfactory accounting
systems which now are pracuced by
the Center Market dealers, who pre-
viously maintained only the most
crude debts and credits on their an
nual activities. /
The national investigators have
worked out novel stories about the
efficiency Of service as the prize hired
man of the average tradesman down
Center Market way. They have found
that the thousands of people who
daily visit Center Market do not go
there primarily to save money but be-
cause OF the great variety of food
stuffs that they can purchase there
and because Of the superior service
which the retailers render. The
dealers who peddle the best service
attract the most customers and build
up the best regular trade. One
dealer succeeds where his neighbor
fails because the former provides
better service.
Center Market dealers have to be
respectful to their patrons. The Sec
retary of Agriculture has the power
to revoke the license and lease of any
tradesman who lacks courtesy to-
ward a potential customer.
|nNE OF Washington's greatest needs
" at present is a central unload
ing station. AS matters stand now,
most of the produce that is shipped
by boat or rail into Washington has
to be hauled from one to three miles
before It is delivered at the doors of
Center market
Only q minimum of Intermediary
jobbing is emphasized in the Wash
materials go directly from the re-
ceiver to the retailer. When average
prices over a series of years are
scrutinized and compared with those
prevalent on other marketing centers,
the consensus Of Judgment is that
Washington is not a high-priced
market city. Local market prices
never fiuctuate widely nor do gluts
occur commonly. Washington is a
we'll stabilized market with a. de-
pendable volume of supplies and a
reliable patronage for all such prod
uce.
One potential method of food dis
tribution which may be developed Is
the track selling Of produce in the
railroad yards. This car-door system
plicable to the selling of such COM
modities as fruit, potatoes, berries
and similar produce which can be
sold directly to the consumer from
the car door. Washington folks with
their 10000 licensed automobiles
could well visit the cars in the rail-
road yards to benefit in the way of
food cost curtailment by this cash
and carry system.
Government inspectors examine all
tho foodstufts that are shipped into
Washington, not only to protect the
general public against inferior goods
but also to facilitate the collection
of vital marketing statistics on the
quality and supply of produce used
in the City Of Presidents. The Nc
tional Capital has the best meat ana
milk supplies in all creation as
consequence OF this rigid inspection
and the admirable system of sanitary
laws which govern the handling OF
such articles in Washington.
Washington eats about s,ooo.ooo
pounds of meat a month during the
peak OF the cold weather perioa.
The District, most certainly. is not
homins ground of vegeterians, IN
view of the annual consumption OF
more than s5.0oo.o0o pounds or
beef. pork and mutton annually. one
half OF tho meat products sold con-
sist of pork, three-eighths of tho
supply is beef, while the balance