18 



business will be proportionately increased. As a result he is strongly 

 tempted to bid high for eggs, seeking to outdo his competitors, knowing 

 that if he chances to lose on the eggs he handles he can very easily make 

 the loss good, simply by inflating proportionately the cost of the miscel- 

 laneous articles the farmer desires to purchase or take in trade. 



Still ano'ther practice of some local merchants is to advertise two 

 prices; one a cash price, and the other a trade price, usually about two 

 cents higher than the cash price. If the farmer is determined to have cash 

 he is forced to be satisfied with the lower price. If, on the other hand, he 

 consents to take groceries or other goods in trade for his eggs, he is 

 represented as being paid the higher price. In reality this higher one is 

 not the real price, but a fictitious one which is set by the merchant for no 

 other purpose than to secure the farmer's trade. Upon the account form 

 rendered by the merchant there may be represented goods to the value of 

 the eggs figured out at the higher price, but at the same time the merchant 

 is often careful to increase the cost of the goods taken in trade equal to 

 the advance given for eggs, or in some other way make up the difference. 



Fig. 6. — Careless handling of returned egg cases. 



Note. — The paper fillers in these egg cases were thoroughly soaked by a drench- 

 ing rain. This is one of the causes of mouldy and musty eggs. 



Another evil of this " case count," or "flat rate " system, is that the 

 innocent suffer with the guilty. Those farmers who are supplying the 

 markets with strictly fresh eggs, and of first quality in other respects as 

 well, suffer from the low price, caused by the presence of inferior eggs 

 supplied by others who are careless, or perhaps dishonest in their dealings. 

 Commission merchants know what shrinkage to count on at certain sea- 

 sons of the year, and naturally they pay a price which is sufficiently low to 

 cover at least a portion of that shrinkage. And not only does the unoffend- 

 ing farmer suffer by reason of this present antiquated system of market- 

 ing ^gs, but the equally innocent consumer is at the same time charged 

 a higher price to assist in covering the shrinkage or so-called loss suffered 

 "by commission merchants. 



