Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-08
NOT GUILTY IS
VERDICT FOR
THE FARMER
DOESN'T GET THE MONEY
SAYS SECRETARY Will SON
Head Of Department of Agri-
culture in Report Says Con-
sumer Can Cut Living Cost
By Buying Direct From Farm.

| TBv Morning journal Special Leased wire1
washington, Dee. From no less
an authority than the secretary Of ag-
lriculture comes the statement that the
farmer cannot be justly blamed for
tho Increased cost of living for the
reason that he gets often less than a
reasonable percentage OF the price
paid by the consumer for farm pro-
ducts. 1t is further pointed out that
one solution of the problem is co-op-
erative buying by the consumer from
! the farmer. thus eliminating the
middle man. The relation of the
farmer to high food prices receives
considerable attention in the annual
report of Secretary Wilson just Issued.
Farmers share OF Consumers Prices.
In the farmers aspect of the mat
ter he receives various percentages or
the consumers prices for farm prod
lucts In the case of milk. in rs cit
les distributed throughout the United
States where the subject was investi-
gated by the department, the farmer
receives q scant SO per cent or one
half OF the price paid by the consunl-
or. The railroads get about Z per
cent. SO that the remaining 43 per
cent OF the consumers price is receiv-
ed mostly by the retailer
The milk wagon of the retailer
has long route It stops at a house
or two in one city block, perhaps pass
es several blocks without stopping and
So proceeds to serve customers thinly
distributed along q route OF miles. Az
| the same time the milk wagons or
other retailers are covering various
/ portions of the same route ana so
/ there is a great waste of effort and
OF expense IN the distribution"
The farmer receives hardly more
than half Of the consumers price In
the case Of poultry 69 per cent IN the
/ case of eggs; cabbage as per cent
when bought by the head and G5 per
cent when bought by the pound; cell
cry GO per cent when bought by the
huneh.
THE apple grower receives Sc per
cent of the consumers price when the
purchase is by tho bushel and 66 per
cent when by the barreli the straw
berry grower gets 40 per cent OF the
consumers price In purchases by the
quart and 76 per cent when by the
crate. When the consumer buys a
peck Of onions at a time, the farmer
receives 2S per cent Of the retail price;
when he buys a barrel the farmer re-
| ceives 5S per cent So, in the case
Of oranges, when the purchase Is by
the dozen the grower receives 20 per
cent Of the consumers price, whereas
when the purchase is by the box the
grower gets 90 per cent The rule
seems TO be the smaller the retail
quantity the smaller the farmers
share Of the consumers price.
Among the many other products
represented IN the list are oats, with
l74 per cent Of the consumers price
going to the farmer when bought by
the bushel. melons so per cent when
bought by the pound parsnips' so
per cent when bought by the bunch;
potatoes. 50 per cent when bought by
the bushel: string beans, so per cent
when bought by the barrel; sweet po-
tatoes. 81 per cent when bought by
the barrel; turnips 60 per cent IN
purchases by the bunch; watermelons,
"a per cent when bought singly
Four-fifths Of the coffee imported
into the United States in the fiscai
year 1910 came from Brazil; ~ per
cent from other countries In south
land Central America and from Mexico
SO that 072 per cent OF the imports
we're from Mexico ana Central and
South America About OIL of / per
cent OF the coffee imports are from
Alden ana are nominal Mocha coftee,
land 13 per cent Of the imports are
from the East Indies and are the Java
coffee.
In 1910 the coffee imported from
American countries had an import
value of rs cents per pound. The
freight rate from Rio de Janeiro is
OPS of / cent. or about one-fOurth OF
a cent per pound. For nearly all this
American coffee the consumers paid
prices ranging from 20 10 30 cents
per pound. In other words the inn
port value. plus the ocean freight
charge. is from 2s TO 40 per cent
OF the principal range Of prices paid
for the coffee at retail.
The case is similar with regard to
tea The imports Of 1910 had an inn
port value of g cents per pound and
if il may he assumed that most OF
the tea consumed in this country is
bought at retail prices ranging from
80 To- 70 cents per pound, the import
valEe OF tea is from 23 TO 32 cents
Of what the consumer pays.
No Well Grounded Complaint Against
the Farmer.
After presenting many details with
regard to the increase OF prices on
farm products between farmer and
consumer. the secretary of agriculture
declares that "the conclusion Is in
evitahle that the consumer has no well
grounded complaint against the
The farmer supplies the capital for
production and takes the risk of his
LOSSES. his crops are AZ the mercy OF
drought. and food. and heat, and
frost. 10 say nothing OF noxious insects
and bhshting diseases. He supplies
hard eXacting, unromitting labor. A
degree and range OF Information and
Intelligence are demanded by agricul-
iure which are hardly equaled in any
other occupation. Then there Is the
risk OF over production and diSas-
.rously low prices. From beginning
10 end the farmer must steer dextrous-
IS 10 escape perils to his profits. and
indeed 90 his capital. on every hand.
Al last the products are started on
heir way 10 the consumer. The rail-
road. generally speaking. adds a per
'eutage Of increase TO the farmers
srices that is not large. After deliv-
sry by the railroad the products are