of the present study and the results from the survey of 143 stores 
located in Chicago, Cleveland, and New York, thus extending the 
scope of the department's study of retail meat costs for 1923 to 
include a total of 285 individual retail straight meat markets. 
A table showing the number of individual retail meat markets 
from which accounting data were procured for the years 1923 and 
1924 is given on page 53. In this table the markets are classified 
by city, sales volume, and class of service. 
In addition to the 1923 survey of Chicago, Cleveland, and New 
York meat markets, the department had previously conducted both 
a nation-wide survey for the year 1919 3 and a local survey for the 
year 1921 in five cities of Wisconsin. 4 The Wisconsin survey was 
localized in character and no attempt was made to relate 1923-1924 
conditions to this study. An attempt was made to relate the results 
of this study to those obtained in the 1919 survey, which was based 
on conditions existing immediately following the close of the war, 
to determine, if possible, the extent of any adjustments which may 
have been made in the cost of retailing meat during the period be- 
tween the 1919 survey and the present survey of 1923 and 1924 
conditions. 
Collection of the data was directed toward obtaining a representa- 
tive group of stores from each city. Because of the lack of a uniform 
system of records in stores engaged in the retailing of meat, it was 
necessary for department representatives to visit, and in many 
instances, to carry out detailed examination of the records of the 
various stores. The records kept by the dealers were carefully exam- 
ined, and in some markets where records were kept in a disorganized 
manner the accountants made what amounted to audits of the finan- 
cial operations of the business in order to obtain data which might 
be of use. 
So far as practicable, data were obtained from all types of stores. 
It is believed that, with the exception of meat departments in 
department stores, this result was accomplished. That the subse- 
quent discussion may be clear, the types of stores and the basis of 
their classification are presented herewith. 
TYPES OF STORES 
STRAIGHT MEAT MARKETS 
Straight meat markets rarely occurred except as stalls in pub- 
lic markets. In general it was found that "straight meat mar- 
kets" sold not only meat and meat products but also other foods, 
such as poultry, fish, game, canned meats, canned goods, butter, 
eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Since meat markets, with relatively 
few exceptions, sold one or more of these additional merchandise 
lines, it was necessary to include stores with small proportions of 
these merchandise side-lines and to regard them as straight meat 
markets. 
" F V, S - 5£ pt A?I *-' De Pt- B" 1 - NO- 1317; RETAIL MARKETING OF MEATS. MARSHALL, TlEU- 
p.ert C. 86 pp. Ulus. 1925. 
,r 4U- J*- P^- Agr » J? ur - A S r - Economics, mimeograph report: "A Study of the Retail 
Meat Trade in Five Wisconsin Cities, 1021.- 
