Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-22
Distribution
OF Consumers
Dollar Is Shown
Department Of Agriculture
Investigates Market Spreads
and Efficiency Of
Agencies.

Agencies.
Washington. May gi.-What share
oi the consumers dollar goes 10 the
farmer who raises the food? The
United States Department OF Agri.
culture is engaged in marketing
studies that will he useful in proving
whether or not the farmer is getting
his fair share.
Market spreads and the cost Of
marketing are being examined with
the idea OF increasing the efficiency
OF marketing agencies. There is
often a wide margin between what
the farmer gets and what the con-
sumer pays, and il is desired to de-
,ermine how nearly the margins cor
respond TO the necessary cost.
The statement that the farmer
gets but 80 cents out OF the con-
sumers dollar" is only partly true.
For some crops he gets less than 80
cents on the dollar. while for others
he gets more. j, is probably too low
an average for the great bulk OF COM
modities, according to the depart
men,'s figures.
Varies With Conditions.
1T is most important TO notice that
what the farmer gets out OF the con-
snmer's dollar varies with conditions
and cannot fairly be represented by
a single figure" DR.. Erdman, who is
IN charge OF the cost OF marketing
studies, says. "Thc farmer may be
getting his full share at 20 cents in
one case and be mcrclcssly cheated
in another case where he gets rs
cents ont of the consumers dollar"
DR.. Erdman lists some of the con-
ditions which cause the farmers
share to vary, as follows: Perisha-
bility, distance to market and freight
rate, extent to which manufacturing
or conditioning processes involve
labor. length OF time product must
be stored, extent to which packing is
necessary, quantity which the con-
sumcr takes at each purchase, value
per pound.
What Farmer Receives.
The following figures represent
the cents received by the farmer out
OF each dollar spent by the con-
sumer on an average. Notice par
tieularly the variations. DR.. Erdman
advises:
Michigan potatoes sold in Columbus. o.
q
Potatoes tMich. Me. Wis., handled by
group OF companies from which costs
were obj obtained In season lsls-1s. 4sc; sea-
Potatoes. single shipment. on,ey, Va,
to phiiadelphia. Pa, July, 1921. 5i.5c
Milk. 1919. in following cities: New
York, sssc; Washington: e4.sc; Columbus
O., Sale: Milwaukee. 70c.
Milk. several Wisconsin cities. Nov,
1917 (Wis. EXP. Sta. Bul. 2S5, ls17), 627c
Milk. six Massachusetts cities and
,sTn'. 1sY1p ,on aMas'. Ayr EXP. Sta. Bull. 17'.
MIX, seven companies. Wisconsin. 1920.
sWis. Dept. Of Markets. Mo. Bull. Oct. l,
~ other Varieties,
Onions. car shipped from Laredo, Tex,
to Philadelphia. July, 1921. 1850.
MIA to Philadelphia. July. 1921. e7.Ic.
Peaches, car shipped from Monticello,
Oranges, December /. isls. to Novem-
her Is. 1918. (Calfornia Fruit Growers
exchange to consumers in various parta
of U. 81 3s.sc.
Oranges. November is. 1919 (same as
above). 42.4c.
Oranges November Is. 1920 tsams as
above). 39.1c.
Oranges. December. 1929. to May. 1921.
inclusive (same as above), 25.sc.
Cattle. calculations based typical ship
mate for June. 1913. 6s.5c.
Tobacco. Kentucky Burley best grade
smoking fKentucky Agr. EXP. Sta. Bull.
2o2. This IL an instance where . large
amount Of labor and long period OF
storage are involved, ~ we'll as sale at
retail in very small quantities)
Cranberries, season is2o-21, SAC.
Kansas wheat. 1911 (Bul. Labor sta
tiatlcs Bul. 1900, 71.7c.
Share Varies Widely.
1T should be noted that in such
products as wheat and milk the farm
ers' share varies widely with the stage
at which the product is consumed"
DR.. Erdman says: Thus we may cal
culate the farmers share of (D the
wheat which the miller buys, ~ the
flour which the housewife buys, (3
bread which the housewife buys at
a store, and (4) the bread which the
guests Of a fashionable hotel eat. At
each OF the successive stages expen-
sive services have been added.
In the case Of milk, we may find
the same dealer selling milk in bulk
at SIC per gallon; in bottles at whole
sale, at l0c per quart-or &c per
pint; in bottles delivered at the
home at l2c per quart or 7c per pint,
and at the same time the fashions
bic hotel may be charging zoe a
glass (80c a quartz Here we have
wide range OF prices, and the pro-
ducers' share will vary accordingly.
1T should be pointed out that
these figures should not be averaged
without giving proper weight to the
various commodities, and that even
thew represent only the particular