REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 



for strawberries bought by the box; 82.5 per cent for sweet potatoes 

 bought by the bushel. 



It may be worth while to extend the list of farm products that are 

 sold to consumers at a large increase above farm prices. In the 

 class of commodities selling for an increase of price amounting to 

 50 per cent and over but under 75 per cent above farm prices may 

 be mentioned the following increases: 61.8 per cent for cabbage 

 bought by the pound; 66.7 per cent for celery bought by the bunch, 

 turnips and parsnips bought by the bunch, and green peas bought 

 by the quart; 54.4 per cent for chickens bought by the pound; 50 

 per cent for eggplants bought by the crate; 68.4 per cent for onions 

 bought by the bushel; 68.7 per cent for oranges bought by the box; 

 60 per cent for potatoes bought by the peck; 59.8 per cent for turkeys 

 bought by the pound. 



The import price of coffee in the fiscal year 1910, which was 8 cents 

 a pound, after the increase to 20 and 35 cents per pound to the 

 retailer, has risen in price to the consumer from 150 to 337,5 per 

 cent. So with tea of the same fiscal year; its import price of 16 cents 

 per pound, after being increased to 50 to 70 cents per pound, cost 

 the consumer an advance of 212.5 to 337.5 per cent. 



Before assigning to middlemen the various increases of prices, it is 

 proper to deduct the percentages due to freight rates. The freight 

 charge for milk received in New York is about 18 per cent of the 

 producer's price and in Chicago about 14.7 per cent. Of the import 

 price of coffee, the ocean freight charge from Rio Janeiro is 3.6 per 

 cent. The percentages of farm price for which freight charges stand 

 in the United States may be estimated at approximately 0.9 of 1 per 

 cent of the factory price for butter; 1.2 per cent of the farm price for 

 clover seed; 1.6 per cent for cotton; 1.3 per cent for eggs; 13.6 per 

 cent for apples; 4.8 per cent for beans; 14.8 per cent for potatoes; 

 and 5 per cent for sweet potatoes. The rates for oats, rye, barley, 

 and wheat are nearly the same, ranging from 6 per cent for oats to 

 7.3 per cent for barley and rye. The rate for corn is 9.2 per cent and 

 the average for all grain is 7.7 per cent. For hay the percentage is 

 15.8 per cent; for cattle and hogs, 2.5 per cent; for live poultry, 4.5 

 per cent; and for wool, 0.6 of 1 per cent. 



NO GROUND FOR COMPLAINT AGAINST THE FARMER. 



From the details that have been presented with regard to the 

 increase of the prices of farm products between farmer and consumer, 

 the conclusion is inevitable that the consumer has no well-grounded 

 complaint against the farmer for the |)rices that he pays. The farmer 

 supplies the capital for production and takes the risk of his losses; his 

 crops are at the mercy of drought, and flood, and heat, and frost, to 

 say nothing of noxious insects and blighting diseases. He supplies 



