See preceding page for figures. 

 These figures have been prepared from the detailed information submitted by dealers, 

 and is designed to show the cost prices of the \arious commodities, the selling prices and 

 the profits. Costs are sliown by an average cost, a prevailing or usual cost, a highest 

 and a lowest cost. Selling prices are shown by these four headings. Profits are 

 shown in cents per unit and also by percentages. Mistakes of various kinds are certain 

 to occur in filling out questionnaires of this nature, and, insofar as they were detected, 

 the errors were eliminated. However, it is possil)le that there are many errors that re- 

 main, yet they tend to correct themselves if it may be assumed that an equal number of 

 prices are quotetl too low as well as too high. It is probable that the percentage of 

 profits are fairly accurate for the different commodities. From these percentages it is not 

 possible to determine accurately the average mark-up of dealers as an arithmetical aver- 

 age would mean very little. If the percentages were weighted in proportion to the sales 

 of the average retailer, it is probable that the mark-up would be found somewhere be- 

 tween 16% and 30% of sales. 



HUMAN FOOD PRODUCED BY FARM ANIMALS FROM 

 100 POUNDS OF DIGESTIBLE MATTER CONSUMED 



Animal Edible Solids Produced 



Cow (milk) - - 18.0 pounds 



Pig (dressed) 15.6 pounds 



Calf (dressed) 8.1 pounds 



Poultry (eggs) 5.1 pounds 



Poultry (dressed) 4.2 pounds 



Lamb (dressed) 3.2 pounds 



Steer (dressed) 2.8 pounds 



Sheep (dressed) 2.6 pounds 



In a number of instances, I have referred in this report to the part 

 played by the cost of doing business in the selling price of various items 

 entering into this factor and the variation in the prices of the different 

 iiems tell an interesting story. The following table, (page 528) gives 

 the figures for twelve of the thirty merchants from whom information 

 was collected. 



