The Washington times., 1917-04-30
Sl9OECA CARRIAGE BILL
OF EACH D. c. FAMILY
Census Bureau Finds Deliveries
More Expensive Than Freighting.

Each family in the District Of Column
bIa pays $50 a year out Of the family
income for carriage.
The average cost to each individual in
the community for the delivery and
moving Of merchandise Is $40 year.
In the purchase Of some commodities,
upward Of half the purchase price goes
for delivery.
. These facts relative to the compara-
lively enormous cost to the consumers
Of the city of tie great number of de-
livery wagons and trucks in service here
arS presented in a report on Carriage
costs in the city Of Washington" pre-
pared by Eugene F. Hartley. expert
chief of division Of the Census Bureau.
In presenting the study. Secretary Of
Commerce Redheld declares that this
cost has been long neglected. but one OF
the greatest factors in the cost of living.
He points out that the city pays each
year much more for local delivery than
II does in freight rates. despite the fact
that 1t Is a non-producing city. and
most. IL practically not all. OF the things
consumed here are Of outside origin
lee Handling Most Expensive.
Attention, Is called to the waste
caused by the duplication of milk
routes. and the idiosyncracies Of con-
sumers regarding delivery.
1t is shown that for every 10-cent
piece OF ice purchased in the District
nearly cents goes to pay the cost OF
delivery.
1t costs more to deliver ice in the
District than any other commodity.
Delivery costs eat up 45 per cent OF
gross receipts from sales.
1t is shown that American cities
generally have neglected marketing
facilities. and that more facilities are
provided for handling produce ship
ped in than for that Of local origin.
The report finds that there is much
to be done in this direction and In
eliminating the inefficiency and waste
Of urban deliveries or carriage costs.
With bread prices higher than at
any time since the civil war. and GO
ing up, 1t Is shown that one-fifth OF
the purchase price of each loaf goes
to pay for the single service of de-
livery. This does not include the de-
livery charge for use of a grocer's
wagon. but merely shows what It
costs the baker to distribute his prod
uct.
Fifteen per cent OF the purchase
price of every ton OF coal goes to
pay the charge of hauling'it from the
paid for a ton of coal, $1.2O' a ton is
the cost of delivering it.
Ice Cream Charges High.
On foodstuffs, the cost of delivery
on the average is "A per cent Of the
purchase price.
On each quart of milk, more than
10 per cent OF the cost goes for de |
livery.
On ice cream, an average of 149
per cent goes for the cost of delivery. |
II it happens to be from an establish |
ment having the highest delivery |
cost, nearly half the price goes for |
the charge of delivering.
A fifth OF the cost of a soft drink |
is the cost OF delivery OF that drink |
to the soda fountain.
An average OF 1873 per cent Of each |
laundry bill goes to pay the cost Of |
collection, and delivery.
The percentages given are average |
ones. For some firms the cost of cart |
age Is much higher, and for some it |
is lower. Il
Merchandise deliveries, particularly |
those from department stores, hatters,
furriers, and shoe dealers cost much |
less than those on seasonal com
modities, foodstuffs, perishabIes. and |
other articles. But the city's annual /
bill for carriage costs delivery last |
year was approximately SI5.25O. 900. |
And this sum did not include the cost |
OF hauling farmers truck to the
farmers market.
Most Important Factor.
With respect to the findings. Secre- |
tary OF Commerce Redfeld. who was
an authority on commercial matters
before he entered Congress or the
Cabinet. says:
II have felt increasingly for some
years past that in giving so large an
amount OF attention to the matter
Of freight rates. we were dealing with
the obvious and too much neglecting
the important. This does not mean,
Of course, that the matter OF freight
rates is even relatively unimportant.
Far from it; but 1t does mean that the
factors on the cost OF distribution
which we may group into the word
are more costly and more i'm
portRnt than railway freight rates.
and that this subject has been almost
ignored in our public thought. 1t is
Dne of our largest wastes, but seems
10 go almost unheeded by students of