Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-12
COST OF MARKETING
VITAL TO CONSUMER
Price Decline in Farm Prod
ucts Is Of Little AS
sistance.
FIGURES ARE INTERESTING
Statistics Compiled by Henry ~. Tny-
lOr Compare Richmond, Norfolk and
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. High Freight
Rates, Rents and Wages.

Tho consumer has not received the
full benefit of tho tremendous de-
cline in the prices of farm products
according to the statistics compiled
by Henry NJ. Taylor. OF the Unitcu
state Bureau Of Markets and Crop Es-
Inmates. from the reports OF the
United States Bureau OF Labor sta
tistics for retail prices. and Of the
Bureau OF Markets and Crop Estl-
mates Of farm prices.
The average retail price of fooo
IN Norfolk, Richmond and Washing
ton, have been compared with the
average farm price In Virginia. ana
this comparison shows some start
ling facts in regard to the spread be-
tween retail and farm prices. There
fore. the consumer Is vitality inter-
estcd In devising some plan whereby
the cost Of marketing farm products
may be decreased. Mr.. Taylor says.
Steaks 35.4 Cents n Pound.
Tho average retail price of sirloin
steak in Norfolk, Richmond ana
Washington on December Is. 1891.
which are the latest figures available.
was s7.4 cents per pound, which Is n
decrease OF 10 per cent from De-
cember Is. 1920. but 81 per cent
n
hand, the average farm price Of beef
cattle on December Is. 1921. was 5.a
cents per pound. representing n de-
cline OF 81 per cent during the past
year. and 10 per cent less than m
1913. That is. the consumer is pay
ing 81 per cent more for his steak
than In 1913. while the farmer is &C.
tually getting 10 per cent less for
his cattle than he did in 1913. In
other words. the retail price of sir
loln steak in 1918 was slightly more
than four times the farm price Of
beef cattle; In 1920. the retail price
was nearly six times the farm price.
and In 1921 slightly over seven times.
Thus II is. seen that the spread be-
tween the consumer and the producer
Is becoming greater and greater.
other foods also show this ever
widening gap between the retail and
farm prices. For instance. the retail
price of pork chops In 1919 was two
and one-half times the farm price:
in 1920. nearly three and onc-half.
md In 1921. nearly four times; the
retail price OF bread in 1913 was
three and one-third times the farm
price OF wheat; more than three and
one-half times in 1920. and more than
.
the retail price of flour was nearly two
and one-half times the farm price
or wheat In 1913; two and one-third
In 1920. and two and three-quartcrs
In 1921: the retail price Of corn meal
was nearly two times the farm price
In 1913; two and threc-quarters in
1920. and three and one-quarter In
1921; the retail price of potatoes was
one and one-half times the farm
price in 1913. two and ne-quartcr
times in 1920. and slightly more than
Two times in 1921. The retail prices
or eggs and chickens do not show
such a wide difference from the farm
price, nor has this gap widened. for
the retail price of eggs in 1913 was
one and one-fourth times the farm
price. one and one-third in 1920. and
one and one-third In 1921: and the
retail price of chickens was one and
one-half times the farm price in
1913. one and one-half in 1920, and
one and one-half in 1921.
Comment Made by J. II. Meek.
In commenting on these figures, j.
II. Meek. director of the Division OF
Markets. OF the State Department OF
Agriculture, says: THE first question
that arises Is why is It that retail
prices have not declined in the same
proportion as farm prices, and why is
1t that the spread between what the
producer receives and what the con-
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