Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-15
WILSON POINTS A
WAY TO ECONOMY
Secretary Of Agriculture Urges
Consumers to Band Together
and Buy from Farmers.


James Wilson In his annual report made
public yesterday
After showing that the price of farm
products is Increased from 80 per cent
10 nearly 100 per cent. from the time
they leave the producer until they reach
the consumer. the secretary says:
"Why do not consumers buy directly
from the farmers" A distribution OF
farm products in this simple way has
already begun in ENGLAND. whore CO.
operative organization of farmers aro
selling by direct consignment to Co
operative organizations Of consumers in
cities
Farmers cooperative selling nssocia-
tons ire numerous IN this country. but
cooperative buying associ. tons among
tho people OF cities ana towns are faw.
Aside from buying associations main
tanned 10y farmers, hardly any exist In
this country. It is apparent. therefore
.It the consumer has r-uch to do to
work ont his own salvation with regard
10 the prices that he pays. Potatoes
were selling last spring in Some places
where there had been ovcrproduction for
20 cents and IN some places for even
cents per bu-hc at the farm, while
a. the same time city consuruers In tho
east were paying % to Il cents per
hushel although there was nothing to
prevent them from combining to buy n
carload ur more OF potatoes directly
FROM tho grower and for delivery direct
~ 10 themselves
"FARMER Not TO FLAME"
Secretary Wilson states that the far
mer probably is not receiving larger
share Of the price paid By the consumer
than lie received 10 years ago. and that
he may be receiving smaller share.
The lnrge advance in price. received BY
the rmer since 1874. he says. was merely
/ n matter Of Justice to the farmer to equal
iHe the reward Of his efforts with the re-
wards received In other lines Of produc-
ton. Prior to 1891 ne says. the prices re-
ceiVcd by the farmer We're often less than
the cost of production ana often little if
any above that cost
Taking up tho reasons for Increase
prices to The consumer. tho secretary re-
fers 10 his last report in which he point
ed out tina. the price paid tor hep by the
consumer throughout the United States
| was 3S per cent. higher than the whole
sale price received by the large saugh-
| terlng houses He adds:
! 1T was found that the percentage of
/ Increase was usually lower in the larger
/ elite. than in The smaller ones and higher
/ In the case OF beef That Is cheap at whole
! sale than of high priced beef. It was a
safe Inference that the poorer people paid
nearly twice the gross prom that the
more well-to-do people paid
MILK TRUST TAKES ABOUT HALF
The milk trust. 1t appears from the
report. takes 90 per cent of the price
Ipaid by the consumer less : per cent
taken by the rai'road. The report says
"AuotheU investigation into the IN
crease Of prices in the process of dis.
tributon was made in the last week OF
June 1910 This time the object was
to discover what fraction Of the con
sumer's price was received by tbs
farmer The investigation covered =
cities
MIX was one OF the commodities
under investigation. food product in
dspensable to large fraction Of tn,
families of the nation. and now cost,
one to all consumers
while IT Is true that the dairymai
is receiving considerably more for hi
OF hish prices. We, i was discovered
IN this inves tigation that Throughout
the United States he receives a scan
o. per cent. or one half Of the pr!c
paid by the consumer The other hal
goes to the railway company for car
rage, TO the wholesale milk dealer, |
there is one in the chain of distribution
and to the retailer who delivers at tin
consumers door"
referring to an investigation made h,
the industrial commission ten years ag
the secretary says: at is believed tina
the ratio, between producers and con
sumor'a prices are approximately tn
, sauna now as then"
) WHAT TIE MIDDLEMAN GETS.
The report continues that IN the case O
vegetables and fruits there We're man
cases found OF increase OF consumers
price over farmer price amounting fror
70 per cent. 10 400 per cent. He then says
Tho import price Of coffee in the hscs
year 1910 which was eight cents pount
after the Increase to 20 and 35 cents pc
pound to the retailer, has risen In pric
30 the consumer from 100 to 1916 per cen
So with tea OF the same Hscal year; II
import price " i6 cents per pound. ate
being increased to 30 and 10 cents ne
pound. cost tho consumer an edvancs {
12.5 TO 1915 per cent,
, Before assigning TO middlemen tn
various increases Of prices, 1t IS prope
to deduct the percentages due to freigf
, rates. The freight charge for milk RI
ceived in New York is about Is per cen
of the producers price and In Caicas
+ about 1+7 per cent
@ The percentages OF farm price Tor whic
freight charges stand may be estimated
! he says, at approximately 0,9 OF l pt
. cont OF the factory price for butter, !
q per cent, for eggs 1876 per cent, for al
pies, 4.s per cent for beans and l+S p'
n } cent for potatoes. He continues:
}. From the details that have been pr
: scented with regard to the increase of II
n prices OF farm products between farm'
f and consumer, the conclusion Ii inev
f table that the consumer has no We
s grounded complaint against the farm,
a for the prices that he pays"
+. Reviewing tho work of meat inspectio
- tho secretary reports that 4s,3o7.S1f an
X mails We're examined before slaught'
+ and 9.l79,o67 inspected at the time OF I
n after slaughter.
+ VALUE OF 1910 CROPS.
$ The following are estimates of Gre
1, production and values for 1910 in IL
Al sccretary's report:
y Value Of al! farm products in Unite
state, FOR 1910 was $500. ooO, 600. Il
n largest record made and an increase ov,
II 1909 of SSO5 COO 900,