46 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



processes of marketing and distribution can be made much less 

 wasteful and more satisfactory than at present. Many people 

 are now calling attention to the fact that the price paid to the 

 producer for his goods and the price paid by the consumer 

 for the same goods are much farther apart in many instances 

 than appears reasonable. 



Our present national marketing scheme, of which we are 

 only a component part, involves the assembling, grading, 

 transporting, storing and ultimate distributing of commodities, 

 all of which are essential operations. Our concern is with the 

 inefficiencies and wastages incidental to these operations. 



A study of the subject has proceeded far enough to make 

 evident the fact that the spread in prices between producer 

 and consumer is not wholly due to unwarrantable profits taken 

 by jobbers, wholesalers and retailers, but largely to waste and 

 loss naturally resulting from inadequate methods. 



As a result of the nature of this problem official agencies 

 similar to our Division of Markets have been created by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture and by many States 

 of the Union to study marketing problems, to recommend 

 improvements, and to enforce laws already enacted or which 

 may be enacted to regulate marketing practices. The work of 

 this Division, now in its second year, has dealt with the follow- 

 ing subjects, and is hereafter discussed more in detail. 



Market News Service. 



Considerable progress has been made in the distribution of 

 market news by the Division of Markets. Timely information 

 as to supply, demand and price and pertinent remarks as to 

 market conditions are of value to the producer, middleman 

 and consumer. The Division is particularly pleased with the 

 growth of the distribution area of its market news through the 

 very fine co-operation displayed by the press. The dissemina- 

 tion of price information through the daily newspapers is one 

 of the most efficient and practical means of getting this in- 

 formation before interested parties, and it is hoped that we 

 may be privileged to rely in the future to a greater degree on 

 the co-operation which we have enjoyed during the past twelve 

 months. 



