70 
The Middleman in Agriculture. 
to the farmer is 8d., and the price paid by the consumer is 
Is. id . , it will be seen that the “ margin” for cost of distribu- 
tion is 100 per cent. No doubt milk is an exceptionally 
expensive commodity to “ handle ” and deliver in small quan- 
tities, but it must be confessed that an addition of 100 per cent, 
to its price seems primu facie rather a large allowance for the 
“ middle profit.” 
Vegetables and fruit frequently supply remarkable instances 
of an almost ridiculous discrepancy between the prices paid to 
the grower and those current to retail purchasers. Cases 
have often occurred where the produce has been left on the 
land to rot, simply because it would not bear the charges of 
distribution, while at the same time probably in some not far 
distant town similar produce was making a fair price. 
With regard to meat, the difficulty of arriving at accurate 
figures is considerable, and it is practically impossible to say 
what share the dealer and butcher obtain. It is of interest — 
as bearing to a certain extent on this point — to note the 
subjoined statement of prices current at the Metropolitan 
V 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
April 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Aver- 
age 
top 
price 
1888 
d. 
d. 
d. 
(1. 
d. 
d. 
d. 
d. 
d. 
d. 
<1. 
d. 
d. 
Scotch . . per lb. 
7 
n 
71 
71 
8 
81 
8? 
8 
81 
81 
8} 
81 
7| 
English . . „ 
6.2 
c 2 
n 
7 
7.? 
8 
81 
72 
71 
7| 
72 
71 
71 
Australian . „ 
H 
31 
4 
4 
3 2 
4 
41 
5 
42 
4§ 
32 
31 
4* 
New Zealand „ 
4 
42 
41 
3| 
32 
51 
53 
52 
53 
42 
4 
41 
1889 
Scotch . . per lb. 
8} 
8 
8 
81 
9 
91 
82 
9 
82 
R 1 
82 
81 
81 
English . . „ 
8 
8 
S 
8 
81 
91 
81 
81 
81 
72 
81 
8 
81 
Australian . „ 
3S 
3| 
— 
— 
— 
5 
»t 
41 
41 
41 
41 
35 
45 
New Zealand „ 
4 
41 
41 
42 
5 
62 
51 
61 
5* 
5 
51 
41 
6* 
1890 
Scotch . . per lb. 
81 
8| 
82 
82 
8? 
81 
81 
8 
8 
8 
72 
8 
84 
English . . „ 
81 
81 
81 
81 
81 
8 
72 
72 
71 
71 
71 
71 
8 
Australian . „ 
3£ 
4i 
42 . 
41 
41 
4 
4 
31 
32 
31 
31 
33 
3fJ 
New Zealand „ 
5 
5 
51 
5 
5 
5 
5 
41 
41 
'41 
41 
41 
43 
1891 
Scotch . . per lb. 
n 
7 
7 
6 ? 
7.2 
81 
8.1 
71 
72 
71 
71 
7 
71 
English . . „ 
7 
6A 
61 
71 
71 
8 
71 
7 
71 
6£ 
61 
7 
Australian . „ 
31 
4 
41 
31 
3j) 
31 
22 
2j 
22 
3 
31 
31 
31 
New Zealand „ 
41 
41 
42 
42 
41 
43 
41 
43 
41 
41 
41 
41 
41 
1892 
Scotch . . per lb. 
English . . „ 
Australian . „ 
New Zealand „ 
7 
61 
31 
41 
8 
n 
4 
5 
n 
7 
3S 
41 
71 
71 
31 
42 
71 
71 
31 
4g 
7? 
71 
33 
41 
8 
71 
31 
41 
71 
62 
22 
4 
71 
7 
22 
41 
7 
61 
31 
41 
7 
61 
2| 
41 
7 
61 
23 
41 
7g 
7 
31 
41 
Note . — The general average of prices was, of course, materially less than the figures quoted above, the 
difference in the case of Colonial descriptions being, say, from to id. per lb. 
