Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-14

trio lamp. such as may be found in many
Of the modern farmhouses Of the great
middle west, is the ideal light The light
Is Enclosed In a box or tin cylinder. in
which are made openings about the size OF
a half dollar. The room is darkened and
the GAMBLER holds the egg to the light.
large end upward, and gives 1T quick
turn, in order to view all sides and to
cause the contents to whirl within the
shell.
This process reveals to the expert the
actual condition OF the egg to a degree
that the novice can hardly realize. The
art OF egg Gambling can scarcely be
taught, however by the printed word.
1t is sufficient to say here that one who
wishes to learn can easily do SO and be-
come an adept by watching an expert at
work. or he may begin unaided by break
ing many eggs and learning the essential
points Of appearance.
An account Of the efforts of the federal
government to improve the egg supply
would be incomplete without a more de-
tailed statement OF the evils of the coun-
try store in this business, for in the opin-
ion Of, Uncle Sans experts in the country
store is the weakest spot in the whole egg
trade. The merchant knows that to buy
eggs means to sell goods. and he there
the same and other towns bid for them,
too. The effect to the merchant Of lower
ing the price of his goods or raising the
price Of eggs is the same. Now the arti-
cles on which the country merchant
makes his chief profits are dry goods and
notions. Such articles are not standard
lied but their real value varies in a man.
ner quite impossible of estimation by the
unsophisticated. On the other hand, eggs
are quoted by the dozen and all who run
may read
For illustration, suppose two merchants
in the same town are each doing business
with a 20 per cent profit, and are buying
eggs at 10 cents dozen and selling for
IL cents. the advance of one cent being
sufficient for handling, incidental loss and
a small profit. One of the merchants con-
cludes to cater for more trade. If he
marks his goods down he will gain some
extra trade. but people will fear his
goods are cheap. But let him put out a
placard. Eleven cents paid for eggs. ="
and the farmers will throng his store and
be less inclined to question the quality of
his goods This move having been sue
cessfui, his rival across the street quietly
and one fine morning puts out placard,
Twelve cents paid for eggs and then
more farm wagons will hitch on his side
Of the street.
The volume of business at the lower
profit being insufficient to maintain two
men in the town, mutual understanding
is gradually brought about by which the
prices Of goods sold are worked back to
the basis Of 20 per cent gross profit bu,
the false price of eggs serves to draw
the trade from neighboring towns, and is
maintained at the higher level
AS a matter Of fact. the price paid to
farmers for eggs by the general stores Of
the Mississippi valley. the great egg-pro-
ducing section of the United States, is
frequently one to two cents above the
price at which the storekeeper sells the
product Allowing for cost OF handling,
there is condition prevailing in which
the merchant is handling the eggs at
from 8 to 10 cents loss. and 1t stands to
reason that he is making up the loss by
adding to the prices Of other goods.
What, then, are the effects of this sys-
tenn? Here are some Of them: The in
fated price of merchandise is an in
justice to the townspeople and the farm
ers not selling eggs. In fact. it amounts
to a taxation OF these people for the
benefit of the egg producers. The in
1ated prices of the merchants wares
work to his own disadvantage in compe-