Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-12-02
1909 HELD TO BE THE
GREATEST OF ALL YEARS
CONTINUED From Page ~

all sugar and rice; next to the highest
production for corn, oats, and all
cereals. Compared with 1908, gains in
value are found ali along the line, the
exceptions being barley, buckwheat,
rye and milk. The increase for cotton,
lint and seed. is $20S, 100000; wheat
$107 100000; corn, $1O5,0OO,O0; hay,
$29,000,000; oats, $22,000,000; tobacco,
$18,000,000; potatoes s15,O00,Oo0.
The increase in the value of farm
produce this year over 1908, 1869 ,000,-
000 is enough to buy a new equip
ment of farm machinery for over
100000 farms. The value of the
cereal crops to the farmer would pay
for all of the machinery, TOOLS and
implements of the entire manufactur-
ing industry. The value of all crops,
$780, 100000, would make half pay
ment of the value of all steam rail
roads, according to the valuation of
1904
Secretary Wilson concludes his re-
view of the production of 1909 as fol
lows: "The agricultural production OF
1909 must add much to the prosperity
of farmers, The record is unexampled
in wealth production and tells OF
abundance in quantity. Year by year
the farmer Is better and better pre-
pared to provide the capital and make
the expenditures needed to improve
his agriculture and to educate his chill
dren for farm life and work
Retail Meat Prices.
Secretary Wilson has just finished
unique investigation made for the
purpose of this report relating to the
increase of wholesale prices of beef
when sold at retail. Through em-
ployes of the bureau of animal indus
try inquiries were made in so cities
large, medium, and small-in all parts
of the country. A schedule was pre-
pared to record the actual experiences
of retailers in buying and selling a
carcass or half carcass of beef, and
among the facts ascertained were the
weight and wholesale cost of aecertain
piece of beef, usually half carcass.
Then followed the weight and retail
price of every cut for which uniform
price was charged by the retail dealer.
Thus it became possible not only to
compare high-priced and low-priced
cuts, but also to compute accurately
the total retail price per pound and
consumers cost of the beef piece for
which the wholesale price per pound
and cost of the entire piece had been
reported.
What the Consumer Pays.
For the so cities the total retail cost
charged to customers above the whole
sale cost paid by the retailers is 3S
per cent In five cities the rate of in
crease is 20 per cent or under; in 10
cities 81 to 80 per cent; in 12 cities,
81 to 40 per cent; in IL cities, Al to
so per cent; and in II cities, over 50
per cent.
The average retail price exceeded
the average wholesale price by 31,4
per cent in the North Atlantic states;
by 3S per cent in the South Atlantic
by SO per cent in the north central;
1914 per cent in the western; and the
highest increase was found in the
south central states, 54 per cent.
A gross profit of 20 per cent was
found in New York City and in Phil
adelphia, 2S per cent in Buffalo, N. Y,
SO per cent in Boston, Mass, II per
cent in Baltimore, Nd, AZ per cent in
Washington, D. c.. 46 per cent in Chi
cago. Ill, 25 per cent in Cincinnati. O.,
% per cent in Omaha, Neb., % per
cent in Kansas City, Mo-, q and 35
per cent in Minneapolis and st. Paul,
Mimi, 40 per cent in Milwaukee, Wis,
and Detroit Mich 20 per cent in st.