THE STORAGE OF WHEAT 213 



of perhaps half a cent when the grain is sacked, but the Pacific 

 coast warehouse is often merely a platform, which in a different 

 climate would afford no protection to the grain. If elevators 

 had to be built, it would materially raise the cost at the country 

 elevator, making it higher than 2 cents per bushel. As it is, on 

 the whole, the cost is about 4 cents per bushel greater when 

 wheat is handled in sacks than when it is handled by elevators. 

 In some states warehouse rates are regulated by law. Dis- 

 criminations are often practiced by elevator people, especially 

 in eliminating independent competitors. In the interior of the 

 country, the total cost of distributing wheat varies from 10 to 

 30 per cent of the price paid by the consumer. The average 

 cost has been given as 9 cents per bushel. The cost of getting 

 wheat to the seaboard has been given as 10 1-3 cents on the 

 Pacific coast, and 14 or 15 cents on the Gulf and Atlantic 

 coasts. The total cost from the United States to England was 

 about 20 cents by way of Atlantic ports, 22 to 23 cents by 

 way of Gulf ports, and 30 cents by way of Pacific ports. 



