PUBLIC MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 491, 26 April 1909, Page 4

PUBLIC MARKETS.

| "" {To tna Enirbit.) ' Sir,--Since: the municipal o&tnpaigxi 6thrtod there has beeha good deal of, talk about ejecting a 'public market in this city. 1 should like to enter' a strong protest againkl the. squandering of a large siim.of riiohoj'on such an unprofitable venture. The bohfiguratioii of this.town is about the inbst unsuitable that can he. imagined for;such an eri« terprise, witli its hills' Mid valleys.. iFlien wij have no farm latid witliih miles of the towa to get our supplies from,. Tlio advocates of a market should show first that ..markets. elsewhere generally have been a success.. I hold that"they .have iiot.been. Some few years ago I.niado the round trip Some _and back throughAmerica,during that .trip I. was keeping my eves open as to markets; In London 1 was tola that Miss had erected a 1 very fine and expensive inarkbt and presented it tothocitjv/Tljey tried tho market, but after a very few years' trial handed it back to her, as they, could only run it at , a loss. I saw tlib market in Sydney, which is also a failure, being opon onta on . Saturday nights; The niarket in Aiick-' land lias' dlso been a failure. . Many years ago wo opened a markct ih AVelliiigton on tho Sito where the Royal Oak Hotel how stands. That waß also a dismal failure. _ Ndw I will -mention one ! or two, which I. ■ saw that were not failures. Tlio Wavorloy Market in lldiriburgb. It libis .beeiiiii existence for over GO, years to my knowledge. I got Up at 6 o'clock iji the morning to sco'tbat,' market.;. It was.'a'biisy sce'rier-carts inc. their, loads of lovely fresh friiit and vccotaules, with the dew still sparkling on ; tlio 1 leaves. : For' they had only come iroiri the market' gardeiis 'a ffew miles out on, fhe fertile LothianS. The crbwds wbro there with tlieir baskets sharp at G "o'clock,,^as to got tlio first ."pick. Tile market ; closes at 9 o'clock—three hours only. That would hardly pay. But they this gw»t t market halj for public meetings, aiid being lit tlis centre of tho oity 'it; pays well, Gladstone often spoko there. ,In tlio old walled city ,of York I saw a' different style .'of market.. It was a . Saturday.: Tho market Was held m tlio Square. The country people erected their own temporary stalls iii tho mofning and took them down iii the evening and stored them awav until next.Saturday. / One-could buy. 'almosVanyiliihg i-licro—all sorts of farm produce, delf wares, clothes, etc. I was told that in Boston, Lincolnshire, thoy had ;tno same style :of market. I could mention others, but must have a carb ■ for ' your Now, sir; I.thihk we should look our conditions and social habits fair in the face,'and see'if we coiildhopo to iriako a market pay here. Will ouivwomen folk get up before sis in the.morning, take tlifeir market has? kets iii. their hand,, also the, money, to pay for goodsP The,markets give no '.tick,';, and do not deliver goods. : I am afraid wo have been all too well served hero—everything delivered at our back door, and bo many depend on the long credits given. If a market' is to l>b started hero let it' be on tho York •and Bostoh: plan. Lot tlio. corporation give a piece of ground at nominal rent or license fee to those wishing to sell their produce; And if that, does not pay, well thcro is little harm' done. ". ~, ,: ;i There is another plan, if wo are , all prepared to t»ay chsh. I am sure, the dealers will all bo too glad to try the cash system; Pay cash for everything, then there will bb a i-oductibH in tho prioo bf evotj'tllirik. Sod tho amount of bookkeeping saved. At prbBcnt the good mark has to pay for tho bad, mark. . :1 , , ; Now jtlst a word to tlio electors: Strike our the iialuo hf every candidate .who proposes to iaste public inoliby; Oil the erection of 4 market.—l am, etc., . READY MONEY. April 21, i9OO/ ,