81 
Where Are We At 
On New York Market Legislation? 
CONFLICTING STORIES.—Farmers who have 
access to New York daily pa-iiors are receiving? con¬ 
flicting stories ahont the movements that are on 
foot concerning the marketing of farm produce, and 
the high cost of foods in the city. The volumes 
that have been written about it only confuse the 
reader and evidently that is the object intended by 
the men who write, and particularly by the men 
who inspire the writing, so that some straight in¬ 
formation on the subject will be welcomed not only 
by the farmers of New Y’ork State but all other 
rates as well. 
THE THREE COMMITTEES.—We have three 
committees at work on the subject: the Wicks Com¬ 
mittee originally appointed to investigate milk; the 
Mayor’s Committee appointed to investigate purely 
the high cost of city living; and the I’erkins Com¬ 
mittee appointed by the Governor for the purpose of 
formulating a bill for needed legislation. Mr. Per¬ 
kins is al.so chairman of the :Mayor’s Committee; 
Mr. Wicks, and his attorney. ex-.Tudge Ward, is a 
member of the Perkins Committee appointed by the 
Governor. No bill has yet been introduced or form¬ 
ulated, but the Wicks Committee and its members 
have expressed them.selves in newsiiaper interviews, 
in a brief report and otherwise. From these ex- 
pfes.s'ions we find that the Wicks Committee believe 
that the marketing conditions in New York City are 
the best In the world; that some of the large milk 
de.alers particularly are little short of perfection; 
that the.se milk dealers ought to have a monopoly of 
the di.stribution of milk in New Y'ork. and that the 
vested interests and status quo of the i)roduce com- 
mi.ssion men and produce dealers should not and 
mihst not be disturbed. This, of coui*se, is not in 
harmony with the puri) 0 .se for which the I>epartment 
of Foods and IM'arkets was organized through and 
by the principal farm organizations of the State. It'is 
not in harmony with the work of the l)oi)artment 
since it was organized. 
THE 1‘RESENT DEPARl'lMENT.—The Depart¬ 
ment was organized under J:he conviction that a 
gi'cat wealth of fai-in produce in the State was 
wasting on the ground because farmers were un¬ 
able to market it at a cost that would justify the 
ex])ense of the marketing even without regard to 
the cost of production at all. It was known and is 
known that it costs 05 cents on an average to the 
consumers for distribution, and that the ])roducer 
at best does not get in excess of .q5 cents of the 
consumer’s dollar on an average. The contention 
has been that the cost of distribution in both milk 
and other i)roducts Is too high; that a .system of 
speculation and monopoly of prices and control of 
the facilities of distribution was in the hands of 
the men who controlled the trade, and that the far¬ 
mers alone Avere powerless to change the system as 
it existed, and it was for that reason that the re¬ 
form in the cost of distribution was attempted 
through a department of the State. Inasmuch as 
practically all the people are really i)roducers or 
con.sumers, it Avas thought a proper function of the 
State to remove the abuses and waste and extrava¬ 
gance of distribution, and to devise a .system that 
AA'Ould bring the food direct from the farms to city 
consumers Avith the least possible cost. P>y such 
.saving it Avas held that the fai-nier might be paid 
a better price and production in th.it Ava.v increa.sed 
to the benefit of both the farmer and the consum¬ 
er. Of cour.se that system would neces.sarily cut 
out the speculator and manipulator and parasites 
of the trade, and everybody expected a hoAvl from 
the.se interests Avho had so long controlled the dis¬ 
tribution to their own profit Avithout any inter¬ 
ference. 
THE CITY’S SIH’PLY.—It is estimated that 
New Y'ork C'ity receives ifSoO.OOti.OOO Avorth of foo<l 
annually, less than 5.% of Avhich comes from the 
the farms of the State. Last year the Department 
had .$15,000 to attempt a reform of this colos.sal busi¬ 
ness, Avith almost unanimous opposition from the 
lieoi)le in the tmde. Naturally Ave could not pro¬ 
vide facilities for a full reform of this bu.siness Avith 
this amount of money, and an attenqd was made to 
show a justification of the argument of the Dei)art- 
ment and its elliciency for the purposes intended b.y 
exercising an influence on some particular line of 
farm produce. I.ast year this demonstration Avas 
made on apples Avith considerable success, and this 
.A’ear the demonstration Avas made on milk Avith a 
still greatei' success. Incidentally some udmini.stra- 
tion is being made to help producers generally out 
in the marketing of smaller shipments, and Avhile 
the facilities for this AA'ork haA’e not been Avhat is 
desired, the result has been to handle ten or tAvelve 
million dollars Avorth of produce yearly. All of 
this trade, of course, in apples, milk and general 
Oie RURAL NEW-YORKER 
produce, takes away somewhat from the eoinmi.s- 
sion dealers’ trade, but the volume itself is not im¬ 
portant. The fact that it is handled economically, 
that the charges are only 5%. that the sales are 
made on the open, and the exact price quoted to 
everybody, and the n.-ime of the buj'er and seller 
knoAvn. and an accurate report made to the ship- 
p(>r, is the real cau.se of opposition to it in the 
tr.ade. The.se things farmers haA'e been demanding 
for 20 years. They have been resisted by the deal¬ 
ers. and the Avork iu)av by the Department acts as a 
governor to regul.ate the system as a Avhole. 
THE DISTRIBFTOR'S SIDE.-The Wicks Com¬ 
mittee has conferred frequentl.A', intimately and per¬ 
sistently Avith the distributing interests of the city, 
and they have taken the distributor’s point of vicAV. 
and for the edification of the dealer’they pi'opo.se 
to abolish the Department and to organize one of 
their oavu. Their one concern seems to be Avhat 
disposition they are going to be able to make of 
Commis.sioner Dillon. One day they are going to 
retain him at the head of a department organized 
to suit them, and incidentally the dealer.s. The 
next day he is going to be completely annihilated 
by throAving him out in the cold Avorld Avithout a 
job. The next day they are going to place him at 
the head of a bureau in a .subordinate position 
Avhere he cannot do anybody any harm and incident¬ 
ally anybody any good. They cannot conceiA-e that 
an.A' man should have any purjm.se except a job for 
himself and a .salary from the State. Their form 
of thinking limits them to that conclusion. Ripi)er 
bills to get men ont of positions quietly that some 
one else may be appointed in his jdace are fre¬ 
quently resorted to in changing political conditions, 
and frequently the deposed oflici.al is placated by a 
minor ])osition Avith a fairly good salary and a 
job that does not require A'ery much time or Avork. 
IMr. Wicks Avill not have difficulty in finding men 
agreeable to him for this kind of jobs, but he is 
resitectfully informed that it re(iuires t.Avo men to 
make a bargain. 
THE WICKS REPORT.—The Wicks Committee 
as yet has formulated no bill, but it has issued a 
report on AA'hich it is presumed that legislation Avill 
be formed. We haA’e alread.A' expres.sed ourselA'es 
on that report. Read b.A’ itself it might mean aii.A"- 
tliing. Read in connection Avith the announcement 
of Senator Wicks and ex-.Tudge Ward It means that 
fai-mers may as Avell give up the hope of increasing 
the A'alue of a .25-cent dollar, and that the house- 
Avife may as aa’cII forget any hope for cheaper food. 
The Wicks plan to maintain the present system of 
speculation and nmnipulation and gambling in food 
])roduct.s, passing it from one dealer to another as 
long as there Avas a chance of making an extra 
penn.v out of it, and then passing it on to the con¬ 
sumer to pay all the tolls that have been taken 
out of it, is inconsistent AAith an.A’ plan genuinely 
projiosed to pay the farmer more or to charge the 
consumer less. When the.se parasites add their 
burden to food, the houscAvife must pay the bill 
.•;nd the producer must be content Avith Avhat re¬ 
turns he gets. 
PLEASING ALL SIDES.—The Wicks Committee, 
hoAVOA’er, proposes to please everyl>od.v. Nothing 
AA-ill please the dealer but his right to take toll 
out of food and other farm products, so that dealer 
Avill be protected in his vested interests. The con¬ 
sumer must be placated too, and so the.v are going 
to teach her Iioaa' to bu.v and combine cheap foods 
to make a meal for her family. That is her opera¬ 
tion. Then the farmer must get something. Some 
lime in the futin’e he will luiA’e another A’ote, and 
.so Jlr. Wicks is going to give the farmer more agri¬ 
cultural college.s, more profe.ssors to teach them, 
more stud.A’, more investigation, more education, and 
he expects all three parties to be entirely .satisfied 
Avith his program, and to make sure he is going to 
projm.se a noAV deiiartment that Avill be launched in 
.some high-sounding terms and big names, but AA’hich 
can be kept perfectly harmless by putting the men 
in cluu’ge of it Avho obey orders. 
DIVIDED VIEW.S.—Thei’e is a strong intimation 
that Senator Wicks and Chairman Perkins are not 
in accord. Mr. Perkins has definitely stated that 
he agrees entirely AA’ith the fundamental’ i)rinciples 
that Commissioner Dillon has expressed many 
time.s, and has con.sistently and persistently Avorked 
for, and Mr. Perkins is chairman of the committee 
api)oint(‘d by GoA’ei-nor AVhitman. Some city ncAVS- 
paper Avriters have been inspired by somebody to 
.say that Commissioner Dillon had agreed AA’ith ^^Ir. 
I’erkins on the pi’oposition. The facts are that 
Commissioner Dillon has simply stated Avhat he be¬ 
lieves to be the fundamental requirements of the 
economic distributing system and that Mr. Pei’kins 
has expressed himself entirely in accord Avlth his 
vieAvs. fi’hese fundamentals are: 
1. That membei'ship must be voluntary. 
2. Each member must have equal voice in the 
management, irrespective of bis investment In It. 
S. Each member must share equitably in the pro¬ 
fits in* proportion to his service to it or his trade 
AA’ith it. 
4. The indiA'idual member mu.st contract Avith the 
corporate association or company to effect all de¬ 
finite. fi.xed tra n.sactions through the cooperatWe 
association or company. 
TERMIN.VL MARKETS.—If the Perkins Commit¬ 
tee pre.sents a bill embodying these principles it avIII 
be in accord Avitli Commissioner Dillon. The only 
certain method of accomi>li.shing these things is, as 
he has contended, by a system of terminal markets 
nnder State control. The.se things are broadly coa*- 
ei’('d in the hiAv that iioav exists. No neAv legi.slation 
provided for the.se things has yet been proposed, and 
any proposed measure that eliminates them Avill 
not have a hapi)y time this year at Albany. 
Notes from Department of Foods and 
Markets 
204 Franklin St., New York City 
EGGS.—Nearby hennery Avhites 50 to .5Sc. some fancy 
large 58i^c; small white hennery, 52c to ,5.’>c; State 
hroAvu hennery in improAmd demand at 50c for large full 
.stock, hut Avhere many pullet eggs are mixed, it i.s diffi¬ 
cult to exceed 52c to 54c. Fresh gathered Southern, 
from 51e to 52c. About fiOO.OOO ca.ses of storage eggs 
remain in Avarehouses in the United States, and the.se will 
he ('xhausted about the last of .Tanuary. Storage eggs 
range from .85c to 88c; undergrade 88c to 84c. 
CHEESE.—The holdings on .Tanuary 1, according to 
the Government Report, were 24,870.048 hoxe.s, a falling 
off o.f 12% as compared with a year ago. Much of the 
supply here has been purchased for export. The market 
is firm at 24i/^c on fanc.v colored, both large and small 
sizes. IMuch of the Avhite cheese available is more or 
less defective and fcAV sales over 2.‘H/4c to 24c on com¬ 
mercial grades. 
LIVE POULTRY.—Receipts of State and nearby 
chickens are light. IM.-irket steady at 21c to 21i/4c oil 
liCghorn and 2D/4 to 22c on heav.v hens; chickens. 18c 
to 20c, only the smaller sizes bringing higher prices. 
Ducks firm at 22c to 24c; geese Ific to 20c. Turkeys 
lower, Avith 22c to 24c covering sales and .some poor 
lots going at 18c to 20c. Pigeons AA'anted at 25c a pair; 
guinea foAvls. fiOc a paii’. 
DRESSED POULTRY.—Trade quiet. Roa.sting 
chickens 24c to 20c on corn fed, and 27c to 28c on milk 
f('d. I’hiladelphia broilers scarce at 85c to 40c a pound, 
average broilers, 80e to 82c. Fancy Capons, .‘18e to 84e; 
those Aveighing 0 to 7 pounds, ,‘10 to 82c; 8 to 10 pounds 
each,’ as high as .85c per pound. Turkeys in limited 
demand at 8*2c on average hens and toms, fancy heavy 
.voung toms 88c. Most of the supply is going into the 
frec'zer. FoavI.s, 22e to 28c on those 4]/2 pounds up, 
small medium foAvls are selling at 21c tor‘J2c. l)ucks 
linn at 24c; geese. 20c to 22c; squabs, .$4 to .80 
per dozen on Avhite. Avith fancy jumbos .$0.50 to .$7 per 
dozen. Guinea foAvIs, .$1.50 a pair on young AA’eighing 
over 2 pounds each, smaller sizes, $1.80 to $1.40 a pair. 
lAVE CALVES.—The market has advanced to 10c 
on prime veals. Avith best hunches selling at 14^c to 
15^/^c: common, to 18c. 
DRESSED CALl’ES.—Fanc.v heavy white meated 
A’cals, 21^ to 22c: averag(', inc-lim-d to he red in the 
meat, 19c to 20c: common, 17c to l.Sc. 
DRESSED HOTHOUSE LAMBS.—:\Iarket firm at 
.$18 to $18.50 on lambs Aveighing from .‘{8 to 85 pounds; 
fancy small lamh.s, from 27 to .‘lO; $11..50 to $12.50 per 
carcass. 
Al’PLES.—’rhe holdings of ai)ples. according to Gov¬ 
ernment Report, are 8.720,92<! barrels. The.se figures 
include the boxed holdings expre.s.sed in barrel pack¬ 
ages. Most dealers expected the reduction during De¬ 
cember would be much larger. There Avere over 100 car 
lots of aples on sale the first two days this Aveek. and 
prices dec-lining 25c on toj) grades, and ungraded lots. 
50c per barred loAA'er. E.xtra fancy BaldAvins, ,$4.7,5 to 
.$.5; most bu.siness at .$4.50 on commercial grades; green¬ 
ings, $5 to .$(5; only Grade A brought the higher price. 
Northern Spy in moderate imiuiry at .$,5. a fcAV lots of 
Spitzenburgs. .$5.50 to .$0. Virginia York Imperials, 
$4.50, rarely $4.75 ; Virginia Winesaps. .$5 on best. Ben 
Davis more plentiful at from ,$8 to .$8.,50. a fexv of the 
more selected higher. 
POTATOES.—The shortage of freight cars at pro- 
(Ipcing points is i)artly rospoiisiblo for the present ex- 
treme high prices. Market steady for the past Aveek at 
$ 0.(0 per l()5-pound bag on prime Maine and best 
grades of State stock; ungraded, $5.50 to $.5.(;0. Sales 
in bulk. $1.05 to ,$2.05 bushel. At this writing a 
slightly easier feeling has develoiied and the market has 
hug. Hornuula potatoes at 
,$7.50 on No. 1; Soul hern second crop. $5 to $5 25 per 
barred. 
Summary of sales of miscc^llaneons farm products 
during the Aveek ending .Tanuary 10. 1!)17 : 
KCiCi.S. 
2 
cases . 
1 
case . 
G 
cases . 
.50 
10 cases . 
.54 
28 
case's . 
28 
cases . 
85 
17 
cases . 
..50 
cases . 
8 
cases . 
5 
cases . 
4 
ca.ses . 
1 
case. 
1 
case. 
Porr.TKY. 
71 
800 
lbs. chickens . 
Ihs. chickens . 
244 
lbs. chickens . 
oo 
120 
lbs. chickens . 
0 
lbs. chickens . 
1 
pkg. seiuabs . 
G7 lbs. foAvls . I .2.8 
(Continued on page 90.) 
