MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 492, 27 April 1909, Page 4

MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

: .Sir,--In .your .issuo ,of-. thisy morning, there appears, a letter-otl tho above subject, signed, '.'lieudy'. appears ;a great deal .of .' truth ill this/corrospondnnt's re-: .miirksl:::. 'I'hcs'o. lnuniliipal marJiets have been prottiiuent. theseJ fyieats back, . till';npwi* wci find that most 'oHhp:. cahdiclateS' :; secking ' i scat: biv':tho ot' 'the foi J.the, Mayoralty,' : iave taken up. tho schcme.' .. IVomi;vtli6> proJuced by ;"Re,yly,; ; Moiiey,''. it"seems that iti.•wo.iild;' be>a" -failure /as-'>far as Wellington is,con6orne<l. -If'"ite'ady:% i Mohey , ';:hacl,taker! tho;troublo- to rVisit-.the;.North of'lreland.-.-in 'His .travp!3, he. wbuld ihaye:.fouio: thcro mun-. lcijjal.' iSarkets.: tiiat'; would .have given .liim some .-more enlightonnieiit.' With your • permission, I shall ;chdeav"o,lir ito-show how these oiiorato,though. 1 . fail :to .-see .how it wouldbenefit "-Wellington to adopt tliein, as - tho /ciroumstances are entirely . difl'cront. Most of tho; provincial towns .throughout'.Ulster—. ;at : ,least most' pf.-ithe largest-7-havo gone ~irC foi-;:municipal-market's. Under: tho Market ■ Hights', and Tolls (Ireland) i Aetj :when iborough town: .decides to '.adopt -'inuiiicipal markets, -i tho municipal b.ody ' either; builds ;.or. l'onta a suitabio -piaco for -thb :purpose, and appoints'officials tb;carry.'out.the.s'ame,* ; and all-iarni. produce\mus't;golthrougli-tliese markets, .ißiid : pay' tolls,'hccqrdjhg -to a: scalo of charges.;for. each ;.ctiihmoditsv No' buying, and selling is ; permittwlr-insido tho borough boundary ; no one could-sell a dozen of eggs without, paying toll;,but nil anyone' has to do - is'; to^-.-thke 'his '.pfoduco':' to " the" market and .pay. ..toll, ; Then .' he-- can. deliver -it wherever? he -'chooses//.'o-Bnt' theso markets wer'o .'liever-'intended 'to, benefit /the inhabitants- of. the town.;where'-they :aro held, but -to'.'promote ,th'o iinterests/df the farmers, and' dnabio them to.'securer the; ruling prices for their produce. At most of .the towns that liavi) . adopteel this scheme, prices are generally ' a. 1 shade ■highor;; but it must bo remnmbered, that thero. is . generally a back -co untry. producing all kinds of ■ farm prodice in, the immediate .'vicinity.- Then buyers attend from '.England:, and Scotland, and. patronise these municipal markets. Now wo hero. have, no agricultural district in tho vicinity,'of ■ Wellington, aiid' how ai'o farmers t-o 'get their produce disposed of but „by 'somo middleman, as. it is .. evident;, they oannot do it 1 themselves. Then'look at the absurd statements of Mr., liolton, 'proposing to erect markets!. How is he going to compel,-say' Thqrndo'n: peoplo, to go, to these markets for their different' commodities? To my mind it-would .be an entire failure. I don't think many of the candidates have much, faith in tho; venture. Some of them arq -using ; the proposal as a bait; to catch-votes. In conclusion, . I. wish to " refer to tho;.last state-' nient by "Heady Money." Ho : . says:, "Striko out-the nariie of .every candidate who proposes to Waste: money on these, markets.", i'.'think your correspondent has made a mistake here, as; 1 take it, You. do not strike" out any candidates you do not want to voto tor. All yon. have to do is ,to put a cross opposite each person's name .you wish to :voto tor.—l am, etc., ' THOMAS M; MILLIGAN. 'toihville. April ati.