efer, and as none of the agents
are allowed to do business for themselves the distant growers have
confidence in the market methods.

In the retail markets each dealer in fresh meat pays just under $6.00 a
week in all, while dealers in salted meats, fish, game and vegetables
pay a much lower rate. All, however, in the covered markets pay three
taxes--one for the right to occupy a stand, one for the cleaning and
arranging of the markets, and one for the maintenance of guardians and
officials. In the open markets the stands are rented by the day, week,
or year, the rate for the day ranging from ten to thirty cents,
according to space. Several of these local markets have charters dating
back to pre-revolution days, that cannot now be annulled.

It would be difficult to devise a more thorough system of inspection.
An average year's seizures include half a million pounds of meat,
17,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables and half a million pounds of salt
water fish.

Thus the Paris market arrangements provide an admirable central
clearing house, where supplies are inspected and sold under such
conditions as to prevent the artificial raising of prices. It also acts
as a feeder to the marches de quartier, to the great convenience of
local consumers. Moreover the producer is safeguarded, for on his
supplies a small fixed percentage only can be charged by the salesman,
and the current market prices are made public by agents especially
detailed for that purpose.

HAVRE, the well-known French seaport, with a population of 130,000, has
a profit of over six per cent on the Halles Centrales and ten per cent
on the fish market. All told there is _a profit of $27,000_ on the
twelve municipal markets.

[Illustration: KEEN MORNING BUYERS

In the Game Section of the Paris Halles Centrales.]

The Halles Centrales occupy an entire square in the center of the city
and cost $75,000, exclusive of the site. Gardeners and farmers are not
permitted to sell their produce on the way to the market and are only
allowed to deliver to storekeepers after the wholesale markets are
closed. Here, as elsewhere where the markets are successful, every
precaution is taken to avoid the prosperity of the market being
dissipated by sales in the surrounding neighborhood. The annual rents
for butchers are very moderate, ranging from $57.90 to $154.40,
vegetable dealers $42.85 to $92.64; dairy produce dealers $52.11 to
$85.11, fishmongers $23.16 to $86.85. In