Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-08
WHAT CAUSES HIGH PRICEsf

man and his wife had given up farm
ing in one OF the best fruit regions Of
New York State for what they thought
q more lucrative position IN town As
they were taking the train away, children
came selling grapes round the station at
cents a box.
Don't let us open the suit easel We
can buy these grapes just "a well in New
York." demurred the man.
But the express charges" suggested
his wife.
Won't be more than a cent box for
those / should know! I've shipped enough
OF them"
But on arrival in the city. what was
the mans Amusement to find he could
not buy that cent box Of grapes under
10 cents.
Forty cents, The ex-fruit farmer rubbed
his eyes. That was an advance Of 1000
per cent. on the price the buyers used
to pay him. How In the world was the
price made up? Express was only | cent.
That brought the cost to cents as the
box reached New York. Allow cent more
for risk and handling: cents Now 20
TO 40 per cent. advance Is q high profit
for a wholesaler: at most. so far only G
cents. All the retailers profit of another
20 to 40 per cent. At most the grapes
should not be marked to exceed 10 cents.
What unseen hand had juggled prices up
TO 40 cents-75 per cent, too high FOR tho
man who cats, 1000 per cent too low for
the man who grows?
Why, he could have afforded to pay
the freight to pay the New York end
of the handling, to pay a man to look
after the sales, and still have put away
n tie
Paying the New York extorton ground
floor rents-the big grocery, where the
ex-farmer made his first Inquiry was on
Broadway and paid a rental of $1,000 a
year. And then over and beyond these
preliminary charges against the grapes,
paying a clear dividend OF about 800 per
cent. to each commission man, wholesaler,
retailer.
No wonder the wealth OF the nation
centered in the cities No wonder tho
boys and girls broke away from the farm
70 pursue that wealth. This sort of game
made the farmers ine-hillion-a-year crop
sort of sluice box for dhpost!ng gold
in city vaults. When the farmer. how
ever, wanted loan, he had TO come on
his knees to those bank vaults for it.
But, perhaps. the grapes were an eX-
ception owing to their perishable nature.
Your ex-farner continued his first-hand
Investigations OF the things he used TO
grow for the city man 10 eat. The more
he investigated the hotter he grew. He
found such extraordinary conditions 20
these:
Potatoes. price paid the farmer S5c; cost
TO the city man $50; advance 800 per
cent. of which only 80 per cent went for
freight and handling In tho case he in
vestigated.
MIX. price paid the farmer &c: cost to
the city man &c. advance 100 per cent.
Pork, price paid the farmer &c to &c;
cost TO the city man zoe to soc: advance
800 per cent.
Wood. 50 a cord city price s.; cost Of
cutting 81; advance 100 per cent
Eggs. country price poe to 4sc dozen.
| OF &c TO &C an egg; cost IN hotels Soc for
| two or 15c an egg: advance 400 to 800 per
cent.
Cabbage. price paid farmer 81 per 80
! cabbages, or &c each cost to city man loc
| each advance 800 per cent.
| Reef. per steer $50 to $50 to the farmer;
cost to the city man figured out on the
| basis OF prices paid In the Senate Res
| taurant 81. 900; advance 5000 per cent.
Wheat. 81 per 30 pounds; breakfast cere-
al loo a pound, or 50 per go pounds
Bread, Sc 10 10c per pound, advance 800
to 1000 per cent.
Now our farmer-man had not gone far
In his Investigations before he became
convinced of several things Railway
charges did not account for the difference
| between the price on the field and the
| price on the city market. The farmer
alone created the wealth; but he didn't