28 



BULLETIN 1109, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



other two districts. Furthermore, the expenses of the Massachu- 

 setts company included an experiment with a picking machine, made 

 for the benefit of the growers, which alone exceeded the total operat- 

 ing expenses of the Wisconsin association. The Cape Cod growers 

 are conducting experiments with a view to developing a power pick- 

 ing machine. In addition, this association operates company pack- 

 ing houses at cost for the benefit of small growers, which increases 

 the overhead expense. 



The average operating expense for all three local associations 

 amounts to 16.8 cents a barrel. 



THE CENTRAL ASSOCIATION. 



The duties of the central selling organization begin where those 

 of the local association cease. It becomes the selling agency for the 

 local companies and renders all reports directly to the State companies 

 and not to the growers individually. The central association takes 

 complete charge of the berries after they are loaded into the car. It 

 takes charge of all car diversions and keeps in close touch with the 

 car until it- reaches destination. It does all the selling and takes 

 charge of all collections. Warehouses have been established in- 

 Chicago and other points where a large amount of cleaning and sort- 

 ing is done on berries which have suffered deterioriation in transit. 

 A traveling inspector is employed who travels over the country 

 attending to serious claims which arise during the season. He 

 attempts to locate the cause of the damage and fix the responsibility 

 for it. The central association takes charge of all railroad claims 

 that may arise. The advertising is entirely in its hands. It renders 

 full accounts to the State companies of all sales and all charges which 

 have accrued, such as istorage, reconditioning or remilling, freight and 

 cartage, and remits proceeds directly to them. For these services 

 the central association is alloted 5 per cent of total sales. This 

 allotment in 1920 amounted to 53^ cents a barrel. Actual operating 

 expenses were only 46 cents a barrel, hence 7^ cents a barrel was 

 returned to the grower. 



Table 6 — Operating expenses of central selling association, 1920. 

 [284, 019 barrels handled.] 



Disbursements. 



Airount. 



Average 

 per barrel 



1. Mana^gers' and salesmen's salaries, brokerage fees and commissions to represen- 



tatives in all markets 



2. Printing, telegraphing, telephoning, rents, trade paper advertising, postage, 



credit agencies, legal advice and bonding 



3 . Traveling expenses 



4. Salaries of office employees, New York and Chicago 



5. Bad accounts, charged off 



Total expenditures 



Reserve of 5percent of sales plus small miscellaneous income. 



Refunded to State companies. 



S85, 845. 76 



23, 981. 02 

 6, 238. 62 



12, 822. 51 

 1, 574. 44 



0.302 



.084 



.022 

 .045 

 .008 



130, 462. 35 

 151,995.10 



.459 

 .535 



.076 



In addition to the above expense the central selling association spent S77, 937. 91 in advertising. This 

 amount is equal to about 27J cents for each barrel handled. 



