52 OUTLINES OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



13. Does the farmer consciously figure the cost of team hauling 

 as a factor in his selling price ? Is the indirect effect the same as if 

 he did ? How ? 



14. Does a straight road make the cheapest hauling between two 

 points ? Is the actual cost of hauling upon a given road the average 

 of the cost upon its several parts ? the cost of its most difficult por- 

 tion ? Why ? 



15. Take the roads of some farming section with which you are 

 familiar. Assume that you have a limited amount of labor and 

 capital to expend upon them say $200 and 250 man-days of labor. 

 Could you apply this with largest returns by (a) scraping and side- 

 ditching present roads? (b) by resurfacing with gravel or crushed 

 stone ? (c) by cutting down grades ? (d) by relocating- the road 

 along a contour line ? 



16. Explain the "red ball" or similar special freight service for 

 perishable farm products. How do the rates of speed on such prefer- 

 ence freight compare with rates on ordinary freight ? on passenger 

 service ? 



17. Go to your local freight agent and find out how charges on 

 the different classes of service compare; on car-lot and less than car- 

 lot rates. What is the minimum carload ? Is this the maximum ? 



18. What is a "passing report" and what purpose does it serve? 



19. What is the "diversion" privilege and how is it used in the 

 marketing of agricultural products ? Explain its advantages. 



20. Can you demonstrate that there are economic gains from the 

 granting of concentration rates which justify the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission in compelling the railroads to grant such rate conces- 

 sions ? 



21. Explain the purpose and method of storage-in- transit. Does 

 the use of this privilege result in a social saving or merely an individual 

 gain? 



22. Is car shortage in the United States a matter of an absolute 

 scarcity of rolling stock or of a relative undersupply of certain types 

 of cars at particular times and places ? 



23. Is the car supply handled in such a way as to give it maximum 

 power to satisfy shippers' needs ? See what you can find out about 

 the methods followed by the railroads to supply shippers' needs. 



24. Do shippers sometimes interfere with the efficient utilization 

 of cars ? How could this be avoided ? 



25. How has the problem of the rapid and economical handling of 

 products at the railway terminal been met in the case of (a) iron ore ? 

 (b) bulk grains? (c) package freight, particularly fruit, vegetables, 

 poultry, and dairy products ? Is the loss due to poor facilities greater 

 or less in the last case than in the other two ? Is it more difficult to 



