Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-05-13
WHO GAINS FROM
HIGH FOOD PRICES?
Special Report Presents Some
Interesting Facts.

New York. May Especial Repre-
sentatives of the eastern railroads today
quoted freight rates on feonstuffs, such
as eggs, butter and vegetables, from
various parts Of the country to New
York city, to show how small a part
of the higher price of food is due to
transportation charges The facts
were put forward in the following
manner:
A vice president of one of the
large railroads recently saw farmer
unloading potatoes at a railroad sta
tion in R ochester. He asked at what
price the farmer had sold his pota-
toes; he learned that it was 20 cents,
and that the potatoes were to be
shipped to New York City. The
freight charge on bushel of potatoes
from Rochester to New York is .
cents. At this time potatoes were re-
failing in New York, nominally, at
81. 80 bushel In reality, potatoes
are sold mostly by the quart to con-
sumers. At only eight cents a quart
the retail price of bushel of pota-
toes was So. 56.
That is, bushel of potatoes shipp-
ed from Rochester and laid down in
New York costs 80 cents The bushel
was sold by retailers for So. 56. Who
| got the difference?
| Last winter, when eggs were retail
ing in New York at from 40 to &C
cents dozen, the prics for eggs in
Salamanca, 800 miles from the city,
was 20 cents. The freight rate Oh
eggs from Salamanca to New York
| amounted to about half cent a
dozen, SO that the cost of eggs laid
down in New York came to 201a cents.
The consumers paid from 40 to e
cents, sometimes more. Who got
the difference?
On butter the rate from various
!. Ohio points to New York City is 4(
cents hundred pounds. On New
York state butter retailing at 38 cents
or more a pound, the average freight
charge amounts to less than thire
of cent per pound.
The rates on table luxuries thal
are brought from far distant states il
the winter and early spring, art
shown to have little to do will
fancy. prices. Early this sprins
the railroads got about half cent /
quart for hauling Strawberries from
Augusta, Georgia to New York city
The freight rate on strawberries sell
ing at 3S or 40 cents was no create
than those that were sold Is cents.
Fresh asparagus in early spring ma.
be termed luxury. This year crat
containing "a punches of asparagus
which would retail for 49, 40 OF more
was shipped. from Augusta Georgia
to New York for about 80 cents.
From Jacksonville, Florida, t
New York City the freight charge
On a standard package of cabbag
weighing 120 pounds came to 681
cents; on a 50-pound crate of cantt
loupes 43 cents; on 50-pound Graf
of celery 80 cents.
In early spring new potatoes thu
come from Florida cost the consume
about 10 cents quart. This
cents worth of potatoes weighs
pound IA ounces. The new potato'
from Florida are shipped in a pacl
age that contains 185 pounds, so thi
the potatoes in the package bring
at retail the sum of $14. 70. F'
hauling the 1856 pound package fro
Florida the railroads get 81 cent
When 81 cents is subtracted fro
$14. 10 the remainder is $14 %. If tt
farmer gets $2 90. for the 1856 poun
of potatoes he is lucky. Who gets Il
difference?