STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 57 



careful study must be given to this subject of more economical 

 distribution of our products. It costs too much today to get 

 the product from the farm to the consumer, and the consumer 

 is paying altogether too much in proportion to what the pro- 

 ducer receives. Here is a very great problem, to know how the 

 system of distribution and sale may be changed and econo- 

 mized. I believe that the prices charged by retailers are too 

 great. I believe that the retail dealers are responsible to a 

 large extent for the present high cost. This again is another 

 side of this question for us to work out. We cannot bring 

 wholesale condemnation against the retailers. There are a 

 great many who are scarcely making a living. But there are 

 too many men in the business again, in the retail trade, — that is 

 one of the problems. In New York City there are today over 

 14,000 retail grocers, and upon a careful investigation of the 

 standing and character of these men, the facts are known that 

 less than 3000 of them are responsible and can pay their bills 

 and rents. There is so much competition in that line, there 

 are so many retail grocers who are paying high rents and who 

 are selling their goods at a high cost that it interferes with the 

 legitimate business of that great city. They all have to pay 

 their rents, they all have to pay the cost of distribution, and 

 hence those who are in the business as responsible men have 

 this competition to meet, have their trade divided, whereas if 

 they could receive this trade to a large extent the retailers 

 could do more business, reduce their cost, and make more 

 money from their business than they are doing today. Here is 

 one of the big problems in our cities, this question of competi- 

 tion, and those who are in business as retailers running up the 

 very great cost at the present time upon consumers. 



There is another side of this question which we will have to 

 study and meet, and that is connected with the consumers them- 

 selves in the cities, who are somewhat at fault. Instead of 

 buying in larger quantities — for instance, buying apples by the 

 half bushel or bushel — they buy by the quart. Now let me give 

 you just a few figures if I can recall them. I have had no time 

 whatever to prepare or arrange anything for this discussion 

 and hence I am speaking as the subject presents itself to me 

 this afternoon. I made an examination of some of the bills of 

 some housekeepers in New York several weeks ago and I found 



