Douglas Island news., 1921-02-11
IMPORTANT FACTORS OF
 HIGH COST OF LIVING
Greatest Waste Comes From an Uneconomical Selection of
 Food Materials
I- ELILAnETH TH0MT80N

The urobIom of serving meals which satisfy Che pocuiiorItc Che family developed during tho years of "low cost oi lviug' and ctil keep within Che family income is dini- wIt t0 s0lyo Perhaps % Knowledge of somc of thc factors which cause Che present day conditions win help to mako Che task of thc mouu-buid- ou moro appreciated.
 It s poo .blc to acrvc satisfying mclIs al a reasonable cost but it rc- luIrcs uu increasing amount of time and thought
 Very often Che cost Of Che proc duoUon Ia a small part of Che cost t1 ilo consumer lt has been esti- mltei that it costs about gs much as and. n many oasas more than Che cost of production Co get tho product from tlc producer to Che consumer In other words. consum- cn pay ou an average twico aa much for Che article as was charged by llo producer Several itoms enter into Che dNauon of prices. among which arc Che cost of production of grading and packing. transportation. storage and rlek.ur losses through deterioration and tlc cost of acIl- ue
 Tho cost of transportation .s usu-  ally small In comparison Go Che Anal cost of tho article. particularly so i Che commodities are handled n car- load IcH A much higher rate is charged for tho transportation Of r.c perHhablo foods.ua Many of Che fruits and vegetables are carried in refrigerated cau and are alao transported by ias. f-c.Eht The cost ol eetune produce from Che farms to railroads OF waterways ls ol,cut.mcs am uom ol great expense. oven .rea.er nroDortoua.aly chan chat Of freight rates. The cost ot trucking i'm largo oIUcs a another Item. The producer who lives several hundred miles from q market may ship his nroIuo. by rail and sa'l almost aa reasonably aa one who lives near and dryo his produce to market
 Hy far Che er0atc.. expense .u Che cost of food a tlo cost of seI.nE. There are many more people connect .I with che selling ot food than .u hr uoluouon Of it Tho ceiling force Include. mot only Che retailer but hc wholesaler. Iohber and com- ion man H Vc.L The wholesale I.lIers expenses usually add about ..r per cent .0 Che cod. of Che ar- HrIe. UHo .omma ion man gets about rr. per euI while Che retailer must add hr.e-thrao and me-th'rl per cent t1 tlc original cost Iu order Co earor h. expenses and mako a small percentage of profit " each part .. Che country obtained .'H supplies from One country immediately ur- rounding It Che m.dd'oman would mot b. ue.eary hut since our food products many ol which arc of @ ncrshablc mature. are derived from uI parts of tlc country there must ho l mdIIomau who secures tno best mIas by shipping u carload lots and who looks after Che storage of tHa commodity m.I such time as It can be disposed Of economically
 There H growing tendency on lhc par. 0l Che producer to cooperate and soU directly to tbe retailer The result ol tba cooperation has been demonstrated by tho organizations ol producers who have succeeded in not only Increasing the profit of Che producer by diminishing Che hand- ling but are also able Go pu. upon fle market their product at lower price These examinations are usu- aIIy located where there Is -pecial- i1auon Of crops
 The public market and chain stores are ways of reducing Che cost ol rouI selling and. as we grow in Che proficiency with which these arc handled they win considerably low- cr .bo price to thc consumer so far therc are mot enough Go materially meet Che retail seller. although .u New York aIonc it is claimed Che public markets have reduced Che cost of food 35l.
 Much unnecessary expense Is due to Che housewife Few women rool- izo Cha. every time Che grocery wagon stops at bcr door it costs from five t0 ten cents to give hor that
 service Some stores arc operating most ucce fully which are giving a discount of three or four per cent Go customers who deliver thc.- own produce The soliciting of orders ai che door Is also another expense which might be disposed of and premiums and stamps always mean . a tax on ail Che patrons Of store Waste a such a large subject ii ! Is impo .ble Go SO into it here. A. nation we arc not frugal neither are WIG as individuals although th, war. to a slight degree. has taught us Che value ot a scrap of bread. th,
 vacant lot and Che acres of unusc. uuabIc land Hugo amounts o. foodsWIs ore condemned and dc rroyod because of dccayug. and when we add Co this the waste and