REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



The average price paid by consumers in the 78 cities is almost 

 exactly 8 cents per quart. In the North Atlantic and North Cen- 

 tral States the average is 7.5 cents; in the Western States, 8.9 cents; 

 in the South Central, 9.1 cents; and in the South Atlantic States, 9.3 

 cents. These prices are for the last week in June, 1910. 



BUTTER AND THE RETAILER. 



Factory butter was included in this investigation of prices, in the 

 three classes of creamery print, creamery tub, and renovated. Con- 

 sumer's prices were taken in 78 cities in all parts of the country and 

 the facts were ascertained in the latter part of June, 1910. 



In the distribution of creamery butter from factory to consumer 

 the ultimate price includes the railway charge for transportation and 

 the retailer's addition. The freight charge is about 0.6 of 1 per cent 

 of the consumer's price. 



As a general average for the 78 cities, the creamery receives 86.3 

 per cent of the consumer's price for creamery prints. The per- 

 centages are nearly the same in all geographic divisions, the lowest, 

 84.6 per cent, being found in the Western States, and the liighest, 

 87.5 per cent, in the South Atlantic States. 



In the case of creamery tub butter, the factories receive 86.5 per 

 cent of the consumer's price in the 78 cities, the Western States again 

 having the lowest percentage, 84.6 per cent. The highest per- 

 centage is 88 for the South Central States, and in the other divisions 

 the percentage is between 86 and 87. 



Factories that renovate butter receive a somewhat larger per- 

 centage of the consumer's price than in the case of creamery prints 

 and tub butter. The average for the 78 cities is 88.3 per cent, with 

 inconsiderable variations among the geographic divisions of the 

 country. 



EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATIONS. 



The increase of price of farm products in their transfer from pro- 

 ducer to consumer was thoroughly investigated in all parts of the 

 country and for a large variety of products by the Industrial Com- 

 mission. Although the facts obtained in that investigation are now 

 about ten years old, it is believed that the ratios between producer's 

 and consumer's prices are approximately the same now as they were 

 then. At any rate, it seems probable that the farmer is not now 

 receiving a larger share of the consumer's price than he received ten 

 years ago, and he may be receiving a smaller share. 



POULTRY. 



Within the field of investigation it was found that poultry almost 

 doubled in price between the farmer and the consumer; in other 

 words, the farmer received only 55.1 per cent of the consumer's price. 



