The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-29
ARE RETAILER's PROFITS Ex-
ORBANT AND WHY.

ORBANT AND WHY.
Secretary James Wilson, OF the De-
partment of Agriculture, has caused
an investigation to be made in the
matter of retail prices of meats all
over the country, with intent OF de-
termining to what extent the high
prices are due. to the exorbitant
charges of retailers. The informa-
tion collected has been collated into
a bulletin. By this it appears that
In the North Atlantic States the re-
tail prices of beef is 31.4 per cent.
higher than the wholesale price, and
the percentage is usually lower in
the larger cities than in the smaller
ones. The dealers in Allentown, Pa,
seem to be selling the dearest meat,
as they receive a gross profit of so
per cent. over the wholesale price.
There is a remarkable discrepancy in
this profit in places near together, as
while the profit is AZ per cent. at
Holyoke, Mass, and Harrisburg, Pa,
it is only 23 per cent. at Olean, N.
Y, and 10 per cent. at Springfield,
Mass, which is most remarkable, as
Holyoke and Springfield are close
neighbors. The average profit in
New York City is 20 per cent, 20
per cent. in Philadelphia, 28 per cent
in Buffalo, and SO per cent. in Bos-
ton. AS rule the cheaper the grade
of beef the higher the profit.
In the South Atlantic States, Balti-
more stood at the foot, with her re-
tailers demanding only II per cent.
profit, while at Washington the deal
ers exact AZ per cent, The highest
was at Augusta, Ca, of 81 per cent.
In the North Central States, Chi
cago, in spite of her being a meat
center, gets 46 per cent. profit, main
ly on the cheaper qualities of oeef,
while the retail profit in Cincinnati
is only 25 per cent. and 23 per cent.
in Omaha. There is a singular dis
crepancy in the Twin Cities of Mimi
eapolis and st. Paul. The dealers in
Minneapolis make 27 per cent, while
those in st. Paul receive 35 per cent
with 40 per cent. for Detroit and
Milwaukee. In the smaller cities the
profits are higher, with So per cent.
lOA fAlIOh, ILL.,, dAO % pCI CSuL. lOI
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In the South the profit seemed to
be enormous and unexpected. For
example, at Fort Smith, Ark, which
is a center of the cattle industry, the
profit is 81 per cent; with Mobile,
Ala, "a per cent; Nashville SO per
cent; Shreveport, La, SO per cent.
and Louisville 81 per cent.
In the Western States the highest
rate is 62 per cent. at Lewiston,
Idaho, and So per cent. for Spokane,
while people in San Francisco get
their meat at a profit of 80 per cent.
and only "a in Seattle.
The chief reason for the increase
in the price of all groceries is that
the customers desire costly accom-
modations. They want delivery of
goods, perhaps by special trip, which
requires at least one man, horse and
wagon. They also want the market
man to send some one to their dwell
ing to take orders. The multiplica-
tion of shops is also given as cause.
When 20 or more small shops divide
the retail business that could be
served by one large shop, there must
be much needless expense for labor,
house rent and other things. Lastly,
there is demand for meat having
respectable" names, so that one
fifth of the carcass Is bought at the
highest prices as porterhouse and sir
loin steaks and rib roasts.