MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE SECOND SECTION SECOND SECTION FOIlTy-JURST YEAtt. MIORKORD 0 WW Off, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1011. No. 195. HOW PES MOINES CUT DOWN THE HIGH COST OF LIVING ' ' ' Tor a LongTimo tho Pooplo of Dos Moinos Thoughtfhoy Know a Way to Lower the Cost of Living. But Ono Thing or Another Prevented Their Realizing Their Plan. A Good Many Interests Woro Working Against Thorn. Thon Dos Moinos Eloctod as Mayor Jamos R. Hanna. Mr. Hanna Beliovod in the Plan of Reducing Food Prices. Also, He Believed in Fulfilling Pre-election Prom isos. So Dos Moinos Cot Its Plan. Tho Following Story Shows How It Got and What It Has Meant to tho City, and That Has Been a Lot. Some Food Prices Have Been. Reduced by One Half. (My Aniii Uoni'Ii, in 1'ouinoii'h .Maga zine.) Ih'H Moines Iiiih licoii cutting down lilt) I'OHl of living. Ill HtlllU) lllHlUIIOOH tlm pcoplo til Dos MuiiuiH linvt) cut it in liulf. In most ciihuh thoy have again made it possible to iiiy the giooory liill for the whole family out f oiKi modointu Hiilnry. That cily bus taken iniiiiy slops forward in the past feu' years, hut thin is one of tlm longest. It Iiiih added uiiurinmiHly to tho uintoiiul liiipiini'HH of Den Moin es. It is doing away with iovorly. It making bettor vitixi'iiH. Whiint Don Moines Htooil, hundred of Amcriimii cities still Mtaml. With them, too, uiMiimifiy ha miichcd thu nIoiiiiii'Ii. And tho wiiikI of it in thai, like Dos Moines, thoy am really sit uated in a horn of plenty. Komi U iintimlly Hpolling all around them, hut they cannot got it. It would t ritftmihiiiri if it went not no madden ing. Now, Dim Moines Iiiih solved the prohleiu of getting that food and at the light priee. II Iiiih another "plan" and when itn ndvantagoH am under, stood. will he oven inoro widely adopted than Hm first famous "plan" for thu commission l'onu of govern snciit. I'm .Mnrket IMmv. Dos Moines linn a freu inuuieipal market-place, Iiiih heeu open since hint July and has already saved tciih of thoiiHuiidii of dollars to itn house- iCH. It HtH'IIIH HO simple IIOW tllllt it in in operation that they cannot help wondering why they wens no loin; about Marline ' Of (!oui-ne the ru Ih nolhilig nw ahout a marketplace. Cities are only maikelplaceH grown up. Hut, in crowing up, unfortunately tho mar ketplaces have been lout. Their bus iness Ihih boon divided anions jobbers, uiisiiiiiimhIoii men and retailors. It !h to thrlr ndvtnngo to buy uh cheaply ns possible and Hell for all they can got. My combining thoy hold the man. tor-hand over our food supply. In Den Moines they had brought things to hiicIi a pass that they wuru often Hptlt tinp; up prolllri iih high an four hundred per cent. They kept tho fannor grubbing along ,harely able to pay taxen, and forced tho city man to deny IiIh family tho food it needed. "Alias Jimmy Valentine", Being the Story by This ntory, on which tho piny "Allan Jimmy Valentino" Is hnsod, In taken (rous "Iloadu of Destiny," si voluinn of O, Henry ti Hhort stories, by iorm!rtHlou of tho publlsheris, Doublodiiy, l'ngo & Co., Garden Clly, Now York. HY O, IIKNIIV. A guard cauiu to tho prlmm ohoo tilmp, whom Jimmy Valentino wHa assiduously Htltchlng uppers, and cHcorlod lif tit to tho front otflcq. Thuru tho warden handed Jimmy hlu pardon, which hud boon signed that morning by tho governor. Jimmy took It In n tired kind ot way. Ho had Horved nearly ton anonthu of a rour-yonr rumtonco. Ho hnd expected to stay only about three mouths, nt tho losigest. When a man with as many friends on tho outHldo nH Jim my Valentino had Ih recolved In tho "Htlr" It Ib hnrdly worth whlto to cut his hair, "Now, Valentino," said tho war don, "you'll go out In thu snornlng. Ilraco up, and inalto a inan ot your self. You're not a bad fellow at heart. Stop cracking safoB, and Hvo straight." "Mo?" said Jimsny In surprise "Why, I novor cracked a Bnto In my Wo." ' "Oh, no," IniiKhod tho wardon. "Of o'ourso not. Lot'H boo, now. How wish It you hiipponed to got Bent up on that Springfield Job? Was It bucauflo you wouldn't provo nn alibi for fear of comprosnlalng uosnobody In extremely high-toned soeloty? Or wins It simply u cnaq of a monii old jury that had It In for you? It's always ono or tho other with you In nocent victims." "Mo?" auhl Jimmy, still blnnkly virtuous. "Why, wardon, I novor wns In Sprlngrlold In my llfo." "Takn 'him hack, Cronln," sinllod tho warden, "find fix hltn up with outgoing olothoB, Unlock lilm at pnvon In' tho morning, nud lot hltn como to tho bull-pen, Hotter think over my ndvlro, Valentine." At i 'Hurtr punt BQYon ph tho Mill now thoy are sio longer fattening at the o.vpoiiHO of the Den Moines din ner table. Public Opinion Did II. Condition that existed in Dch Moiu I'M exist in all eilies. I'ohnp yon can bring about an adoption of its plan. Tho foieo of public opinion can do it iiIiiiohI anywhere. Tor a New York 01 a Chicago it in hut illy feasible; hut in cities well past a hundred thousand It will prove clfeotive. That means it onu ho used to cut down the cost ot living for almost half thu city popu lation. You huar constant complaint about I ho price of butter ami eggs, potatoes and cabbages. It Iiiih been the com mon complaint everywhere. Possibly you think (ho farmer who product these thing are rolling in wealth, Thoy arc not. The middleman is netting tho profits, llu is underpay ing tho fanuiT and ovorohnigiug you. Mut all you need to do to undermine his creed is to deal directly with the fanner. In a small lown you can us. unity do it. That is why small towns Hot tho reputation of being cheap places in which to live. Jlitmiu (.'ot It. Dch MoiuoH wauled a market-place yearn before it wiih able to got onu. There worn many forces working against it, but, finally, tho people won out. James it. Ilanuu wiih elected mayor, pledged lo see it realized, and Mayor Hanna believes in keeping campaign promises. There wiih no question iih to the need of the mar ket. Dch MoiuoH wan even in a worse s)sitiou than other cities. A com parison showed it wan paying more for its flour than the twelve largest surrounding cities. It wan paying seventy-live oentH snore for u bushel of HtatopH than Chicago. Prices on all other fomiH of food were pro portionately oxecssivc. Mut mora striking yet was the difference in prices between Dch Moines and the smaller country towns immediately surrounding it and within driving dis tance. Home Prices. When the agitation for a market place wan at itn height hint Hummer u man who objected to paying 10 Dch Moines, and bought eggs that out to Carlisle, fourteen miles from next snornlng Jimsny stood In llio wnrdon's outor office. Ho hnd on a Riilt of tho villainously fitting rondy mndu clothes nnd n pnlr of tho stiff, squeaky shoes Hint tho stnto fur nishes to Its discharged compulsory KUOHtU. Tho clerk handed him a railroad ticket nud tho five-dollar bill with which tho law expected him to ro- hnbllltuto himself Into Reed cltlzon Hhlp and prosperity. Tho warden gnvo him n cigar, nud shook hnndH. Valentino, 07(1-', wan chronicled on tho books, "Pardonod by Oovornor," and Mr. Jnmes Valentino walked out Into tho sunshine. DlHrcRiirdlng tho uong of tho birds, tho wnvlng green trees nnd tho smell of tho flowers, Jimsny bonded Htrnlght for n restaurant. Thoro ho tasted tho first sweet Joys of liberty Iu the shape of a broiled chicken and a hottlo of whlto wlno followed by a cigar a grndo bettor thnn tho on tho wnrdon hnd given lilm. From thoro ho proceeded leisurely to tho depot. Ho tOHsod a qunrtor Into tho hat of n blind man by tho door, and bonrdod his train. Thrco hours sot htm down In a llttlo town near tho Rtuto lino. Ho wont to tho cafo ot ono'MIko Doliiu and shook hands with Mike, who wnB nlono holilud tho bnr "Sorry wo couldn't mnko It sooner, Jimsny, mo boy," snld Mlko, "But wo hnd that protest from Sprlngflolrt to buck agnlnst, nnd tho govornor nonrly balkod. Fooling nil right?" "Flno," Biild Jimmy. "Got my koy?" Ho got his koy nnd wont upstairs, unlocking tho door of a room at tho roar. Everything wns Just ns ho hnd loft It. Thoro on tho floor wno Btlll Don Prlco'a collar button Hint hnd boon torn from that omluont dotoc tlvo's shirt bund when thoy hnd ovoi' poworod Jimsny to arrest him. PullliiK out from tho wnll n fold lug bod, Jimmy slid back u pnnol Iji tho wall nnd diniggod out a duat eovorod Bultcnao. Ho opened this and gnzod fopdjy nt tlo ffuoHt pot of MYSTERY IN DEATH OF KrXmBKBIMBmKSa'Mfrittmm. 7 f wmmmmmmwS 9mmmmWmV BMMMBBBrMBBiBjfcBfiflS "TliBlBIlBIBHPpy mmmmmmW. f B KIlfKttVlBmftKvlrtiStSrSVmi tmmmWSmflmmmmWirrtt i "tmmWWP?. 'BH Absence of cIcwh and an uppnr- tHHIRF iwi HHBHBSItiSriK' out luck of motive for the deed throw VmmmwLmmTBJmWAmm VammmmmmwX'r&ryt,' ' 'W IHBBNSuuC B ammmmmmmm!GA&Z&& wy a mystery about the Hiipposed mur- !BnHBi?iM P'V'i' 7 bacteriologist, who wiih found with HvlH fi-tS1'!' 'r'fM&! her throat Hlashed in her apartmeulH HIB X SS -ST Si fP?l mmmmmmmmymmmm Cv5i7.r'5WJ (LJ sou, an assUtant to the dead woman, discovered tin' body. Don Moines, and bought eggeH that had been laid that day for seven ccntH a dozen. When ohorric were selling at ten centn a tpiart basket they could ho had in the surround ing country for the picking. Tie priee paid the farmers wat ho low that thoy let them rot on the tree. Meanwhile, Dos Moines wan ehori-y hungry. The difference in prices in and out of DcsMoiuuH was ho glaring that coinmeroial travelers were mak ing a habit of buying for their own and their neighbors' tables iu smal ler plaecH and bringing their pur chases back to the city with them. Had an Kxuinplo. Dos MoiuoH nlno hnd an example. The smaller city of Dubuque hnd succeeded in maintaining a free mnr ket for many years. Jt had boon able to do this largely on iicouut of its sir.c. If it had boon as big us Dos Moinos it would probably also have lost it. Nevertheless, it served for purposes of comparison. Food could ho brought into Pes Moines nH cheap- burglnr's tdols la tho onst. It was a complete Bot, sundo ot specially tomporod steel, tho latest designs In drills, punches, hrnccs and bits, jim mies, clnmps nnd nugois, with two or throo novoltlos, Invented hy Jimmy hlsuHolf, Iu which ho took prldo, Over nlno hundrod dollars thoy had coat him to havo inndo nt , a pluco whoro thoy mnko a it oh tilings tor tho profession, In half nn hour Jimmy went down stairs and through tho cafo. Ho wns now dressed in tnetoful nnd woll fit ting clothoa, and carried his dusted nud clonued suitcuuo In his hand. - "Clot anything on?" iiBkod Mlko Dolnn, gonlally. "Mo?" anld Jimmy, In a puzalod ton'o. "I don't uiulorstnnd. I'm rep losoptlng thy Now Yq-'U Amnlgmot- p? i ii in i. i j- ,i t t. , i i i ir, M i mm h, -i f tfS8 ViiimmW mmmmW&VG mW iF H. WOMAN DOCTOR FOUND WITH THROAT CUT i n Miay J&aiOTUHE MTUK3QIJ E. ly ns to Dubuque The tnajor bent his secretary, Edward Lytton, to Du buque to snake a jwrsonal investiga tion. II' found tbdt new jtotatoes were selling for a dollar and a half a bushel; Dos Mo'dhc? was paying three dollars. Hy the peck this snade a difference of between forty and seventy-five cants. Orcess beans were selliuir for ton cents u quart The Dos Moines prices that day were twenty cents. Ulackberries were sellisig for a dollar and seventy-five cents a crate. Des Moines was pay ing two dollars nndla half. Cucuui bors were bringiniatweuj'- cents a dozen. Des Moii).tl-waft paying tell cents a piece. And sis addition, tho citizens of Dubuque were getting fruits and vcgetHhles as frc-h as if they had taken them from their owss gardens. Needed n .Market. Tho investigation left sio question tin that Des Moines siccded a mar ket place. It whs also said that there was n food trust in Des Moinex od Short Snap Hlscult Crnckcr nnd Frnzzled Wheat Company." This stiitoment dollghtod Mlko to such an oxtent that Jimsny hnd to tnko a soltzor-nud-mllk mi tho spot. Ho novor touched "hard" drinks. A week nftor tho rQlcnso qf Valen tino, 0702, thoro whb a neat Job of safo burnlnry dono In Richmond. In dlnnn, with no cluo to tho nuthor, A scant olght hundred dollars wns nil that wns seeuied. Two weeks nftor that a pntonted, Improved, burglnr psoof safe In LogaiiBport wns oponod llko a cheoso to tho tuno of flftoon hundrod dollars, ciss;s'Qsioy; securities nnd silver untouched, mmt bognn to lutorost tho roguo cntohors. Thon nn old-fnBhloned hniik saifo In Jefferson City boVnmo active niul throw out ot Its otntor nn eruption of bnpk nototj HEtUtTA XKABE maintained by the grocers, comsnss niois snen, the creasueries and butter and egg houses. Whether they worked under' nn understanding was not established, but the effect was the snmc. They succeeded in mnin tniuisig prices much too high. But their influence was so strong they had alwnys proved themselves able to prevent any action than threat ened to interfere with their profss. They slumbered upwards of seven hundred iss this ctiy of less than one hundred thousand and with the sup port of other business interests they Ions; had a free hand. Strong .Sentiment Aroused. Mayor Hnnna aroused a stronger sentiment to opjuxe thetn. He showed the other business interests why they oisght to be on the side of the free snarket. Manufacturers nud other osnployers of labor were quick to see that they were being constantly forced to raiso wnges to meet the higher cost of living. This, in tuns, increased the cost of output and O.Henry on Which Play is Based amounting to fivo thousand dollars. Tho losses woro now high onough to bring tho mattor up Into Bon Prlco'a clnss of work. By compnrlng notes, n remarkable similarity In tho meth ods of tho burglnrloa wns noticed. Hon Prleo Investigated tho acenes of tho robberies nnd was heard to ro mnrk: "That's Dandy Jim Valentino's au tograph. Ho'a reausued buslnoaa. Look nt that cosnblnntlon knob Jorkod out us ensy ns pulling up a rndlsh In wot weather. HYa got tho only clnmi3 that enn do it. And look how" clean thoso tumblora woro idnchod outl Jlsnmy novor bus to drill but ono nolo. Yos, I buobb I want Mr. Vnlentlno. IIo'll do his bit next tlnio without nny short-tlmo or eloinonoy foollshnoSfl," snndc it difficult for them to compete with concerns in olher places where the cost of living was lower. And so be got their support. As soon as the situation was made clear to thetn they carnc over to his side and snndc it possible to get the free mnrket. This nrgument carries far. I should like to point out to manufacturers and employers of Inbor in general thai they can forestall increases in wages they see staring them in the face by making it iwssible for their operatives and employes to purchase at free markets. Mkc Italso In Wages. For a cheap market has tho effect of a raise in wages. It helps both the wngo earner and his employer. When the cost of the real necessities of life is low, laborers can afford to work for a comparatively low wage They cannot afford to work for or- dissary wages when the cost of living is cxtnrordtnanly high. You see a city market is a socio logical institution. It is intimately related to the whole industrial and economic problem of city life. It deeply affects not only the industrial and commercial prosperity of the business and manufacturing inter ests, but also the economic and social well-being of the people at large. It was not until this was brought home to the business itcrests nffectcd that Des Moines got its city market. Des Moines n roved that it was economic and good business to have a free market, and that is what I hope to show to other cities. Site Secured. A space in front of the city hnll and an adjacent street were set aside for the market by tho city council. The ordinance was' in ef fect a proclamation and the publi city given it by the"fscvSpapers made it generally known that the market place could be open from five to test in the morning on Tuesdnys, Thsirs days, and Saturdays during the sum mer, and from six to ten-thirty every week day during the winter. There was litttle danger of the market plncu not being well advertised. It was a burning publto question. Two days before the free market Bon Price know Jimmy's habits. He had learned them while working up tho Springfield case. Long Jumps, quick get-aways, no confederates and la tasto for good society theso ways had helped Mr. Valentino to becomo noted as a successful dodger ot retri bution. It was given out that Ben Prico had taken up tho trail of tho elusive- cracksman, and other pcoplo with burglar-proof safes felt more at enso. Ono afternoon Jimmy Valentino and his sultcano climbed out of tho metl-hnck In Elmoro, a llttlo town fivo miles off tho railroad down in tho black-jack country ot Arkansas. Jimmy, looking like an athlotlc young senior Just homo from collogo, wont down tho board sidewalk toward tho hotel. A young lady crossed tho street, passed him at tho corner and entored n door over which was tho sign "Tho Elmoro Bank." Jimmy Valentino looked into her eyes, forgot what ho was, and becamo another man. Sho lowered hor eyes and colorod slightly. Young in on ot Jimmy's stylo and looka wero scarce iu Elmoro. Jimmy collared a boy that wns loafing on the steps ot tho bank, as it ho woro ono of tho stockholders, and begau to nak him questions about tho town, feeding him dimes at Intervals. By and by tho young lady enmo out, looking royally unconscious of the young man with tho auitcaso, and went her way. "Isn't that young lady Miss Polly Sisnpaon?" nskod Jimmy, with Bpe cious gullo. "Nnw," said tho boy. "Sho's An nabel Adams. Her pa owns this bank. What'd you como to Elmoro for? Is that a gold watch chain? I'm going to get a bulldog. Got nny inoro dimes? Jimmy wont to tho Planters' hotel, roslatorod as Ralph D. Sponcor, and engaged a room. Ho lennod on tho desk nnd declared his platform to the clerk. Ho said ho had como to El moro to look for a location to go iuto business, How wjia the shQ busl- was opened ono of tho nowspapors, tho Capital, made a careful investi gation of whnt the farmer was being paid and what tho consumer was paying. It found young radishes and onions being sold by tho farmers at fifteen cents a dozen bunches, and retailers were charging fivo cents a, bunch or, thrcq bunches for a dime. Cabbages wpfo bringing tho fanners forty cents a dozen, but the consumer was paying ten cents a pound. Home of these cabbages weighed as high. as two pounds. Pic-plant was bringing the grower twenty cents a dozen bunches, but the retailer was gcting five cents a bunch. . Tho profit in tho mere handling of thcso'vcgclnblos was, in each case, from- 350 to 400 per cent. .'. More Prices. Growers were paid nintr ccntH a dozen for cars of corn. Honsowiveu were paying twenty cents. Kggs were being sold by poultry raisers at eight, ten and twelve cents a' dozen. In the shops they wcro selling for twenty cents. Tomntoeo wqrc sold by growers at seven cents a pound and retailed at fifteen. Tho best country butter, bought at fifteen cents n pound, was selling for twenty-eight. Tho profit in these articles was 90 to more than 100 per cent. Two days later tho frco market was opened. The farmers knew of jt and twenty-four wagons wcro backed up in front of tho city hall at fivo o'clock in the morning. By seven they wero overwhelmed with buyers. The prices tell the story. New pota toes sold at the markst-placo for a dollar and a half. Grocery storw were asking two dollars and forty to two dollars and seventy-five cents. Cooking apples were to be had 'at from forty to sixty cents a bushel. In the stores the price was ono dol JaL "Eating apples brought a-dolls r. The stores charged two,do!hrS''Hnd1 up. Two pounds of tomatoes wpro to be had for fifteen cents instead of one pound, as in tho stores. Cu cumbers could bo had at twenty-fiva cents a dozen. The stores still want ed ten cents apieco. Tho highest price for tho very best eggs was sixteen cents. At tho stores you (Continued on Page Two) ness, now, in the town? Ho had thought of the shoo business. Was there an opening? Tho clerk was impressed by tho clothes and manner of Jimmy. Ho, himself, was something of a pattern of fashion to tho thinly gilded youth of Elmore, but- ho now perceived his shortcomings. While trying to fig uro out Jimmy's manner of tying his four-in-hand ho cordially gavo infor mation. Yes, thero ought to bo a good open ing In tho shoo lino. Thero wasn't an excluslvo shoo storo in tho placo. Tho dry goods and general stores handled them. Business in all lines wns fairly good, Hoped Mr. 8pencor would decide to locate In Elmoro. Ho would find it a pleasant town to Hvo In and tho pcoplo very soclablo. Mr. Spencer thought ho would Btop over in tho town for a fow days, nnd look over tho situation. No, tho clerk needn't call tho boy. Ho would carry up his sultc.aBO himself; it was rather heavy. Mr. Ralph Sponcor, tho phoenix that nroso from Jimmy Vnloutino'a ashes aabes left by tho tlamo ot a sudden and altoratlvo attack ot lovo remainod In Elmore and prospered. Ho opened a shoo storo and socurod a good run of trade. Socially ho was also a buccchs, and made many frlonda. And ho accom- j plished tho wish of his heart. Ho mot Miss Annabol Adams, and bo-' camo more and moro captivated' by hor charms. At tho ond of a yoar tho situation of Mr. Ralph Sponcor was thla; bo had won tho roapoct of tho commu nity, his ahoo Btoro.wn8 flourishing and he and Annabol woro engaged to be married in two wooku, Mr, Adams, tho typical, plodding country banker, approved of Sponcor, Anna bel's pride in htm almost oquallod her affection. Ho was as onuch at homo in tho family of Mr, Adams and that of Annabel's marrlod slater as K ho w.oro alroady a mombor. Onq day Jimmy sat down In Ms (Continued on Paga . i I !