40 
varied slightly between the two groups. Refrigeration percentage 
was somewhat lower in the case of the 74 stores compared for 1923 
and 1924. 
This situation was due largely to the fact that the 1923 and 1924 
comparative groups contained a number of stalls in public markets 
where central refrigeration plants materially reduced the cost of re- 
frigeration to the individual dealer. Light, depreciation, and other 
expense percentages varied only to a small extent. 
On the basis of these data, it was concluded that the changes in 
gross margin and total expense percentages were very slight between 
the years of 1923 and 1924. Furthermore, the comparison showed 
that conditions in 1923, which formed the basis of the study, were 
also applicable to 1924, and that while the major portion of analysis 
was based on 1923 data, the results might properly be regarded as 
pertaining equally well to 1924. The scope of the cost survey was 
thus extended to include the year 1924. 
WAGES PAID TO CUTTERS 
Considerable variation was found in the weekly wages paid to 
cutters in the retail meat trade. On the basis of the data collected, 
however, it was apparent that in the northeastern and central sec- 
tions the average wage paid to cutters for the year 1923 was between 
$1,700 and $1,800 per year. In the southern section rather marked 
variations were observed in the three cities studied, but the average 
wages were definitely lower than those paid in any other section 
of the country and during 1923 were usually between $1,500 and 
$1,600 per year. In the Pacific coast section, the usual wages paid 
cutters were slightly over $2,000 per year, which was a higher 
average amount than was paid in any other portion of the country 
reached by the present survey. 
COMPARISON OF MARGINS, EXPENSES, AND PROFITS WITH RE- 
SULTS OF THE CHICAGO, CLEVELAND, AND NEW YORK SURVEY 
In 1923 the United States Department of Agriculture, in coopera- 
tion with Northwestern University, conducted a survey of margins, 
expenses, profits, and losses in the retail meat trade in Chicago, 
Cleveland, and New York. The period covered by the survey was 
between February, 1923, and March, 1924. Although the period 
covered by the cooperative survey and that of the present survey 
did not exactly coincide, it was believed that a comparison of the 
results of these two studies was proper and would be of value. This 
conclusion was strengthened by the fact that the data collected 
during the course of the present survey showed no material dif- 
ferences between the 1923 and 1924 figures, so that the February, 
1923, to March, 1924, period of the Chicago^ Cleveland, and New 
York survey might be properly compared with the January 1 to 
December 31, 1923, survey without introduction of variations through 
the lack of complete identity of the periods of the two surveys. 
Data from 79 stores in 10 cities located in the northeastern and 
central sections of the country were used for comparison with the 
Chicago, Cleveland, and New York study. The cities comprised in 
this group were New Haven and Bridgeport, Conn., Binghamton, 
