New-York tribune., 1921-10-31
Four full columns Of in
resfrlent questions and an.
s,oers are published in The
Tribune eucry Sunday
Too Many Stores
Found One Cause
OF Inflated Prices
Federal Commission Saws
Many Retail and Some
Wholesale Lines Over.
crowded; Figures Given

FROM Tho T'ibu'es Washington Bvreou
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30.--The joint
commission of agricultural inquiry, as
the result Of figures which it has coll
lected, is led to the conclusion that many
OF the retail lines and some Of the
wholesale lines are overcrowded. II
hnds IN the principal lines of business
one retailer for every twenty-six fami-
lies and one wholesaler for everv 899
families.
The commission is engaged in a COM
prehenslve survey of the distributive
macnlnery of the country. including
products of the farm and manIfactnre
and distribution through trade chan
neis. An effort is being made to ascer-
tam the causes for the wide difference
between producers and consumers,
prices. In the course of this survey
the commission has obtained data
showing the number of retail estab
ilshments in certain trades, the num-
Der OF wholesalers in these trades and
the relation between the number Of
estab shments and the number Of per-
sons to be served by them.
Store to Each rs Families
Tne tables SO far compiled show in
parV that there are 956,419 retail es-
Ia Saohshments IN the principal lines.
There is one retailer for every iii per
sons or one retailer for every twenty
SIX families. The persons emploved In
retail establishments number 3.585 asa
Or 3.3 per cent Of the population.
In the trades covered there wera
27O03 wholesalers, or one Wholesale
Tor every 1908 persons, or 500 families
The selected trades covered bv this
list do not include dealers in perish
ables and many of the minor lines. and
1t is probable that the total number Of
retail establishments is in excess of
l,2oO,o00 Retail grocers and delicates-
sens constitute the largest retail group,
and of these there are 335,212, or one
for each 315 inhabitants, or 78 families
In the grocery trade there are 1880
wholesalers, or one wholesaler for each
56 retailers.
~ IN NJ the mems furnishing line there are
4O,399 dealers, or one for each 2.616
lnhabltants, or one for each 602 fami
lies. This would be equivalent to one
retail mems furnishing store for each
SoI men and boys above twelve Years
OF age of the country.
Dry Goods Situation Shown
There are s5,2o7 retail dry goods stores
each serving an average Of 3.0O2 ner-
sons or 691 families These retail
dTy goods stores are served by 2,78O
wholesaler establishments, or one
wholesale establishment FOR every
thirteen retail establishments.
There are 141,867 retail boot and
shoe dealers serving an average of 745
persons each, or 172 families. These
retailers are supplied by 1899 whole
sale establishments. That Is to say,
one wholesale establishment on the
average supplies 101 retail boot and
shoe stores.
There are 55,e33 candy stores in the
United States served by s,572 whole
sale candy dealers, or about one whole
saler for every six and one-half re-
tailers.
So far as the commission is able to
estimate it, the approximate number Of
persons employed in wholesale and re-
tail trades amounts to 3,644,073, or
3:4 per cent of the population Of the
United States.