REPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 31 



It is evident that as the time of storage lengthens the costs and 

 their percentage of the wholesale price must be multiplied by the 

 number of months. If the storage is for 15 months, for instance, 

 the cost per pound ranges from 5.273 cents for fresh mutton to 8.572 

 cents for butter, and is 8.898 cents per dozen for eggs ; the costs for 

 15 months range from 3G.5 per cent of the wholesale price in the case 

 of butter to 57.5 per cent in the case of fresh mutton. 



For the average length of time in cold storage, as ascertained in 

 this investigation, the actual costs are: For fresh beef, 0.997 of 1 

 cent per pound; fresh mutton, 1.564 cents per pound; fresh pork, 

 0.350 of 1 cent per pound; for poultry, 1.079 cents per pound; for 

 butter, 2.532 cents per pound ; for eggs, 3.505 cents a dozen. 



The costs of storage for the average length of time are 7.9 per cent 

 of the wholesale price for fresh beef; 17.1 per cent for fresh mutton; 

 3.2 per cent for fresh pork: 6.8 per cent for poultry; 10.8 per cent 

 for butter, and 18 per cent for eggs. 



Approximately the wholesale prices of the commodities mentioned 

 are increased by cold storage to the extent of the percentages just 



given. 



CHANGES IN CONSUMPTION CAUSED BY COLD STORAGE. 



Before the advent of cold storage there was a relative monthly 

 consumption of commodities, such as the foods now stored, through- 

 out the year which was adapted to the current supply, and that 

 supply was more or less closeh' related in time to the production. 



Cold storage has interposed to change considerably the relative 

 monthly consumption and to make it more even throughout the year. 

 To illustrate with a supposition, if 1 per cent of the total amount of 

 eggs consumed in a whole year were consumed in December before 

 the day of cold storage, perhaps 3 per cent is the figure for the 

 present time. 



There has also been a change in relative monthly prices, due to cold 

 storage. In the case of eggs the relative price has increased in 

 the season of natural plenty and diminished in the period of natural 

 scarcit3\ 



These two facts, the changes in the relative monthly consumption 

 and prices upon passing to the cold-storage period, have been arith- 

 metically related to each other for eggs and butter to discover the 

 effect on the mean price for the year. It is not an undertaking 

 that can be worked out with precision and can be only indicative. 



The results are that in the cases of both butter and eggs the annual 

 price level has been raised by cold storage, for a reason apart from 

 the costs. 



In two ways, then, cold storage has raised the cost of living. 



