Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-03-18
BUTTER PRICES, FROM T
PRODUCERS TO CONSUMER

i butter prices from producer to
consumer" is the subject Of a report
recently issued as Bulletin No. 1eG by
the Bureau Of Labor Statistics Of the
United States Department Of Labor.
This report relates to creamery but.
tor only and the prices considered are
those for butter passing promptly
from producer to consumer no cold
storage prices being included.
The object Of the reoprt is to show
the relation between the price Of the
raw material Clutter fat) and the re
tall price Of butter in periods Of com.
parAuv0ly low and high prices. and
the cost Of distribution or the addi.
lions made % the price Of butter as
1t passes from producer TO consumer.
Data as to ereamsries were obtained
from 10 representative establishments
in the famous Elein District and In
Northwestern Missouri. and prices
and margins Of wholesalers and retail
ers were obtained covering various
lots Of tub ana print butter bought
from the 10 creameFiee mentioned and
handled In, the large markets Of Chi
cago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadel.
phia and Pittsburgh. ! June, d. repre-
senting the season thigh production
and low prices. and December, the sea.
son Of low porducuon and high prices
were the months selected, and data
were secured for these months for the
following representative years: 1904,
when the butter prices were the low
est shown for any year since 1901;
1910, when there was a wide range Of
prices. and the average was compare
lively high; 1911. when prices fell
somewhat IS compared with 1919.
The primary constituent Of butter is
butter fat, which briefly defined 10 the
pure OIL contained in milk, cream, or
butter. The farmer, who supplies milk
or cream to the creamery 10 paid on
the basis Of the amount Of butter fat
therein. The difference be-
tween the price paid the farmer by
the creamery for the butter fat in one
pound Of butter and the price paid by
the consumer for one pound Of butter
the total margin from pro
Queer to consumer. =
In December, the month Of low
the prices were consider.
ably higher than those In June (the
month Of high production). especially
in the years 1904 ana 1911. When :
figures for the three years are COM
bined the increase In; December as |
compared With June amounts to S6.4
per cent for prices received by farm
efs and; 28.S, per cent for those paid
BY consumers. In the two months Of !
1894 when prices were low the total |
margin represented q much higher |
proportion Of the retail price than. in
the corresponding months Of 1919 and
1911, when prices we're higher.
The total margin between producer
and consumer l. made. mp Of the cream
~ margin. freight and carriage, whole
saler's margin. and retailers margin.
II the, pertods considered the average
margins per, pound varied
Irom . minimum Of 2.c4, cents In June
1919. to q maximum, Of S.sS cents in
1894; freight and carriage
averaged the same (about three-fourth
u . cent per pcund); the average
wholesalers margin varied from q
minimum Of is cents IN June, 1894
% q maximum Of 1877. cents per pound
ia Decembes. 1911; the average, re-
alters margin varied from . minimum
i 50 cents per pound IN December,
1904. to q inaximuln of SOS cents per
.ouna IN December. 1919. |