From the data in the foregoing table, which show advances averaging nearly forty-five per cent., the following table, indicating the present purchasing power over railway freight service of each class of articles, in a manner similar to that adopted to measure the increased power of labor to buy railway freight transportation, has been derived: Increased Relative prices. power to pur- ---------------------- chase railway Commodities. Increase freight services 1897. 1907. per cent. per cent. Farm products 85.2 137.1 60.92 69.19 Food 87.7 117.8 34.32 41.22 Cloths and clothing 91.1 126.7 39.08 46.23 Fuel and lighting 96.4 135.0 40.04 47.24 Metals and implements 86.6 143.4 65.59 74.10 Lumber and building materials 90.4 146.9 62.50 70.85 Drugs and chemicals 94.4 109.6 16.10 22.07 House furnishing goods 89.8 118.5 31.96 38.74 Miscellaneous 92.1 127.1 38.00 45.00 All commodities 89.7 129.5 44.37 51.79 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND FREIGHT RATES. The statistician to the United States Department of Agriculture obtains annually a very large number of reports from farmers as to prices obtained for their products and these are carefully tabulated. The results show the average prices, at the farms, of the principal agricultural products. The following table shows the increased prices obtained for such products, and the increased power which these producers enjoy, per unit of their products, to purchase railway freight services: Increased power to purchase Price. railway ------------------------- freight Product. Value of Increase service crop of 1907. Unit. 1897. 1907. per cent. per cent.