Show Is 0 0 pi CITY MARKETS HELP LOWER FOOD COSTS 4 s 4 F 1 above Atlan At lantas taa modem wholesale food terminal cars are unloaded directly into warehouses below costly congestion in Chi cagos prod uce center prepared by the united states department ot of agriculture high food prices likely would receive eels e a severe jolt if every city with a population of or more would establish a city food terminal tor for its wholesale trade the bureau of markets of the united states department of agriculture believes all large european cities have such markets and they have proved very helpful in keeping down the cost of food distribution the cities of this country have been slow in adopting any kind of a unified terminal system si stem most of them are getting along as best they can with no plan all but those of the smallest size usually have several scattered terminals at which food products are unloaded from train boat or truck frequently the wholesale houses are located at some distance from the freight depots this necessitates loading the products into a truck or wagon carting them across the city and unloading them again at the wholesale bouse house all these expenses add to the price the consumer eventually pays for his food A city terminal market elaml nates this unnecessary handling and cartage for under such an arrangement the wholesale district and the terminal are brought together and the contents of cars or boats are unloaded directly into the wholesale houses delayed planning costly in recent years both new nen york and chicago have worked on the problem of establishing a central terminal mar ket but the size of those cities makes it a difficult problem and as bet et no practical solution has been found the situation in these cities has awakened some of the smaller municipalities now growing at an amazing rate to the value of a unified terminal system and tho the necessity of inseal ling one before congestion increases is los angeles and atlanta through private capital have been provided with unified terminal markets and seattle has a wholesale municipal market other cities in addition to chicago and new york which are working on this problem are indianapolis memphis tenn and washington D 0 the idea of a terminal food market Is simple under the plan which it involves all wholesale houses are built in a locality which Is convenient to all transportation lines it Is not necessary or even desirable to have them in the heart of the city where land values are high the incoming cargo of food Is unloaded dl di erectly from the car or boat into i wholesale bouse house and Is taken away by retail truck or wagon from the other side of the house there Is no intermediate handling or cartage cold storage plants and aucta auction on rooms are also a part of a good terminal food market buying simplified for retailer this system of food distribution expedites the unloading of cars under present terminal conditions unloading Is often slow and every week in the year many care cars of perishable products spoil before they reach the wholesaler or even get inside the railroad yards A mell i ell planned city terminal food market has adequate switches and platforms which facilitate the unloading of the cars and prevent congestion inside and outside the yards quick release of cars Is im JIM if crops aro am to be moved before they perish furthermore more the retailer finds hla buying simplified when all the food products are con cent rated in one place and the work of the food inspector too becomes easier the biggest saving in money how ever comes in lessened cartage and less handling and deterioration of the food where the wholesale district of a city Is remote from transports tran tion lines the cartage of the food products from the freight house to the th wholesaler mounts into hundreds of thousands of dollars every year all of which Is added to the bill the con sumer pays this includes the cost and upkeep of the trucks and wagons and the wages paid the men who load and unload tupin and drive food spoilage costly to cartage cost must also be added the loss caused by the deterioration of the food products during the trip extremes of temperature can do con sid erable damage to perishable prod nets in a short trip the cost coq of the food which spoils spells in transportation Is added to the cost of the food that la Is salable when it reaches the retailer and the price the consumer pays goes up another notch farmers who ship on a consignment basis are able to get their remittances quicker under a terminal system than they can where the wholesale district is scattered in some cities the food terminals are owned by the municipality in others they are built by the railroads or by private individuals but in every instance central food terminals have proved their worth the bureau of markets in the unit ed states department of agriculture t has made a study of terminal food markets and Is prepared to advise any municipality on oa the right ways mays of conducting one |