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but in many cases enforcement has not been made effective. If the 
funds of the local department of health are insufficient for adequate 
enforcement, dealers should work to remedy this condition. Much 
can be done to better conditions in most cities through genuine 
cooperation between retail meat dealers and local health authorities. 
The value and economy of adequate equipment and refrigeration 
as two essentials of success in retail meat distribution should be 
more thoroughly studied by the meat trade. Increased competition 
and modern methods of retailing meats have resulted in the adoption 
of time-saving devices, suitable display cases, and other features 
which tend to reduce shrinkage, waste, and labor costs, among many 
progressive operators, especially in certain sections, but many estab- 
lished markets are still endeavoring to operate with antiquated 
equipment and do not fully realize how much they are handicapped. 
Adequate accounts and careful bookkeeping are an essential part 
of a well-equipped store. Many stores were studied in which records 
were either totally lacking or were very incomplete. No business 
can be operated successfully without adequate records. Many 
failures are due to lack of knowledge of the business and incomplete 
records. The retail meat industry needs to correct these deficiencies. 
The number of impractical operators engaged in the retail meat 
industry is far too great. 
Every effort should be made to increase practical knowledge of 
the business among all members of the trade. The consensus of 
opinion of thpse who have an intimate knowledge of the business 
is that many of the difficulties connected with the retailing of meats, 
at present, are due to the high percentage of inexperienced operators 
engaged in the industry. The need for some corrective measures 
is apparent. One solution of the problem suggested by representa- 
tive retail merchants in all cities where studies were made is a com- 
pulsory apprenticeship period for everyone who contemplates enter- 
ing the retail meat business on his own account. 
The industry should be rid of unscrupulous dealers. They' con- 
stitute only a very small proportion of the total number of dealers, 
yet the effect of their methods both at their stores and in adver- 
tising is felt all through the industry. The well-informed are unan- 
imous in the belief that this undesirable type of dealer has done 
more to create suspicion and uncertainty in the minds of consumers 
generally, regarding palatability of meat, than all other factors 
combined. Until this type of dealer has been eliminated or these 
practices corrected, full confidence of consumers in retail meat 
dealers can not be restored. 
Meat dealers should take a genuine interest in teaching customers 
about meats. There are signs of an increased interest among con- 
sumers in learning about cuts and qualities and it is to the ultimate 
interest of the meat industry that retail dealers take an active part 
in helping customers to learn what constitutes quality in meat. 
Meats should be sold for what they are. When the customer relies 
upon the dealer's judgment as to quality, as some customers will 
always do, the dealer owes it to the industry as well as to the customer 
and to himself, to meet the responsibility squarely. Many meat 
dealers take a justifiable pride in the fact that their customers feel 
they can rely upon them for good judgment and advice in regard 
to purchases. 
