15 



was 60. The market was very centrally located and the 

 patronage was large. On a number of Saturdays the number 

 of customers ran up into the thousands. In addition to 

 having the three requisites of a successful market, — sellers, 

 buyers and goods, — the Springfield market had a market 

 news service maintained by the Office of Markets of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. This service was 

 of great assistance in keeping both buyers and sellers in- 

 formed of the supply and prices of farm produce in the Spring- 

 field market. Every morning the representative of the Office 

 of Markets in Springfield made the round of the Springfield 

 wholesale markets and secured the quantity of arrivals and the 

 wholesale prices. These were posted on a blackboard at the 

 market as soon as secured, so that both buyer and seller were 

 trading with full knowledge of all the facts in relation to the 

 Springfield market situation for that day. 



A small fee was charged sellers in the Springfield market, 

 and this reduced the net cost to the city to about $3,100. 



About January 1 an indoor market was opened in Springfield 

 on Fort Street, and this is still in operation at this writing, 

 March 1. Plans are being laid for a continuation of the open 

 market next year, although there is some opposition on the 

 ground of the cost to the city. 



Westfield. — The town of Westfield designated Academy 

 Street, a short street running between the high school and the 

 Town Hall, as a market place, and this was opened as a market 

 on September 1, but the proposition was not successful and 

 lasted only a few days. 



Worcester. — In 1916 the city of Worcester designated Salem 

 Square as a public market place.' This had been used for sev- 

 eral years, principally as a wholesale market. In September, 

 1917, Worcester set aside eight additional market places, 

 namely, square at junction of Cambridge and Millbury streets; 

 square in Merrick Street, north of Pleasant Street; Lincoln 

 Square; Vernon Square; Webster Square; Washington Square; 

 Grafton Square; square at junction of Millbury and Green- 

 wood streets. 



By the time that these market places were named the season 

 was too far advanced for them to be given a fair trial in 1917, 



