Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-05-22
GRAFT IN EGGS

S W N'' 49, "-N' -
GRAFT IN EGGS ARE sold by the producer in this in
A woman writing to the Chicago corgmmer fortv miles away, So cents
Asserts that 40 per cent Of the cost of @ am ' rG%s ton e@ w which Pr cn fe' ito ,r t%s
this food supply to the eoosumr is Increase. They are the cost of trans
a aoese ' IasE Statements tat TsSs off e ease "s o oG 4 S% ",@n,. ne Ne G Ssp, of . @ssro o% Sona ' 1o
thorty are CONDENSED in the following but it is within reason to say that in
.Assrsfsared farmers wife who mas 70 rsore than 4 cent per dozen, 50 that
s sssias 500 55' chickens i.@s , 2yss's Sn. f' o@ s cost O. Of ' 5.oSs"aon AND and profit "5a. IF Of '' e
eggs The most OF the egg marketed down in the city, which is the price
con ONE FRO from IL h 9n farms o wne f the a%ns " of the :. 5a oa the sn omsgqrtn1 IN
woula " waste if they did not pick it wrong with the system of distribution
up. q N farmer will say it's high or there is extorhon in the profits eN
best only 4 small amoun is necessary 1t may b assumed that the course
fss snsm 2 mink 4 thsg . fs too farmers Rsn s ero osa'' eomm1.s snss m ss "1sa' 5 oS1s
receive 81 emit land that is toe much it and the cost of passage IRON one
for or eggs. n they retail in Chi to the other as well As the overhead
thng is wrong. We sdl sell SOM eggs If these profits m expense amount
but believe in beng fair to the con to 30 per cent of the original cost of
some particulars The frmer Who ntOnaon Of food commodities # a
keeps sss ss chickens ,ssn,, To- =. consume consume . what 0n ut pa o of s t1 90 a ssa'I is Is sb ssasi b 1oeslea
the farm is snuued to pay for the and laws should b enacted to prevent
the chickens for This purpose is a rgt nomic conditions in this country are
Of GOD buaness lust is utuidpg every Due TO a number of such things as
portion aa .o Of te carcass areas Of rs animal is tn mes Of eggs. the ns un ms ancs sse
good &C. But pus ass e front rh 'tn nr ta CT Il he p ssss p of aana ma, a aen t N v sSe excessive
We quite agree with the Journal in its conclusion That the Chi
cago woman overstates the case in some particulars. At the same
time, she UNDERSTANDS it IL other respects, for we cannot recall a
time within the past three years when eggs have not commanded a
higher price than thirty-dve cents On the Chicago markets.
The journal likewise UNDERSTANDS the case with respect to the
prices which the average consumer pays in comparison with those
which the producer receives. Taking the whole range Of agricul-
tural products--and eggs must be included in the lst-sueh as are
sold to the ulinate consume "a the form IN which they leave the
farm the average.3s5ducer has been receiving for the past ten
years but abopb* fy per cent. of what the ultimate consumer pays;
50 that the cost OF transportation and distribution and delivery to
the consumer is fifty per cent. greater than the price paid the pre-
Queer
IF the cost of distribution and profit on a commodity which
costs forty cents laid down in the city, which is the price Of the
eggs plus the transportation charges is 20 cents, something is wrong
with the system Of Installation Or there is extortion in the profits
exacted, st declares our Sioux City contemporary.
In the first place, eggs are today commanding on the open mar
kt IN Watertown about forty cents That is about what the local
merchants are paying over their counters. and they are selling te
eggs att retail at substantially the same price. That is the general
policy OF the grocers, we think, throughout the country-not only
with respect to egs,Sb but also regarding dairy butter. Local mer
chants in distinetively agricultural communities usually retail botl
butter and eggs at the same plieess at which they buy these eea
modties. If that Chicago womaS4Whoa is complaining about the
buy all the eggs she wishes at the same prices at which the pro
ducer sells them.
Chicago ss not so fortunately situated with reference I'll
NM tins class of farm products The probability situatefacmfWypl
u thlssclass. Of farm products The probability ia that there are hun
#dredss at chicago merchants who have never hsaght d dollar
SN2WoIthaof eggs fronlsa producer iii their lives. They must depent
2Anpona The sold storage plants and the wholesalers. Boston Is til
@anarkets center for eggs and Chicago Retailers are eamnallea IL IA
A@theaB Boston price less freight from Ghieagosto Boston. when egg
S6cOnllaand stpny cents ons the open market ia Watertewn. the Bosto
aMaHprseesis thsss same plus freight from Matertowr to Boston. and BID
MMfhel measure ndda profit which the buyers and shippers must have i
#Sofaera toH sonsinHde 81 business: aIsasahe time the Gaieago merchar
PAID theseS charges With little added for cold storage and ID
aedaltlonalaeha rgass for rehandlings III finds that eggs cost him, II
taneg% AeaFera1 hftySfYa cents d dozen than thirtyfves and by Iii
azaaaiass sssslRasa dallXaAFeF i order ~ ste ultimateS eonsanaers hesrauu
ssSE&AIet5 eAts tHS alnst os sixfs cents that afheJ onnaIl speaksad 81 a. b
s@sS@a ahszf aet fsShese isaa growing sdAamand tkroueholt te ;counf1
ssaan 9lafSaDs Sonrzg fsat sysAsee 81 aistrribution Inatsad@ 81 81