The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-06-30


cago produced a return on their total
investments, including borrowed funds,
in 1919-l920, Of 2S.41 per cent This is
in contrast to SIS per cent in 1914.
After this presentation of facts, estab.
fishing beyond any doubt that the en-.
terprises paid large profits. the COM
mission turns to the conditions of the
country elevators and its investigation
shows that in 1856 there were 967
elevators that gave a return on their
investments of 1887 per cent. In the
year 1890 there were 1,091 elevators
which returned 1880 per cent. This
is about ten per cent less than that
accomplished by the larger groups in
the big cities, but the results indicate
that these country elevators located in
the states of North Dakota. Minnesota.
South Dakota and Montana made what
could not be called a mean profit. 1t
may be that the larger institutions
handling grain were able to do their
business more advantageously than the
NoNdI oAo lhdl III lht obiS
run there was a little difference in the
ultimate profit that the farmers had TO
allow no matter whether they carried
on their transactions with the terminal
elevators or the country elevators, or
with both. The commission says that
the highest rates of return on invest
ment, excluding borrowed funds, were
made by cooperative paying patron
age dividends, and that in 1856 this
dividend was 1921 per cent, and 39.OS
per cent in 1920. Elevator profits
seem to be quite like those of all lines
of business, inasmuch as they bob up
and down during different years. The
gross profit per bushel for country ele.
vators was sos cents in 1920 while IN
the terminal elevators it was 1875 cents
per bushel. In so-called non-line coun.
try elevators gross profits per bushel
in 1920 ranged from 3.55 cents per
bushel for 40 Iowa elevators to 1859
cents for 13 Montana elevators; the
average of 526 elevators in this class
being 6.97 cents.
The federal trade commission in its
report to congress contents itself with
submitting its findings without any
specific recommendations except to
comment that "in view of the present
bills before congress with reference
to regulation of the grain trade, and
of the present wide public interest in
the problem of grain marketing" the
commission believes that the data il
has collected will be helpful at this
time.
According to the United States
weather bureau, the weather is Just
the same as when we were boys and
girls" An authoritative statement
from this wonderful branch of the
United States government says that
since the time Of the Revolutionary
war, there has been no permanent
change in temperature" To prove it,
the mean temperature for ten-year
periods beginning in 1890 and running
down to 1920, taken at New Haven,
Conn, shows that there Is a variation
OF the average Of less than one degree
of mean temperature in all that time.
According to the weather man New
Haven is a first class criterion that
may be accepted as standard of exist.
ing weather conditions throughout the
country. An analysis Of actual facts
establishes the interesting \point that
not summers and cold winters, and
inconsiderate springs and falls, strike
a perfect average when checked up for
a period Of ten years.