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 storage, 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 7J cents a barrel was 
returned to the grower. 
Table 6 — Operating expenses of central selling association, 1920. 
[284,019 barrels handled.] 
Disbursements. 
Amount. 
Average 
per barrel 
1. Managers' 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 
: of offic 
$85, 815. 76 
23,981.02 
6,238.62 
4. Salaries of office emplovees, New York and Chicago 12, 822. 51 
5. Bad accounts, charged oft' 1, 574. 44 
$0. 302 
.022 
.045 
.005 
Total expenditures : ; 130. 462. 35 
Reserve of 5 per cent of sales plus small miscellaneous income ; 151. 995. 10 
.459 
.535 
Refunded to State companies. 
In addition to the above expense the central selling association spent $77,937.91 in advertising. This 
amount is equal to about 27 J cents for each barrel handl<>! . 
