The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-02

distances or left to lie unused for DAYS together
about the country. ~ is the case with ali other
freight cars; hayo little trouble in handling
and have no need for storage warehouses. such
as other freight requires. Why, they are barely
f ,or Ihe SAFE carving Of our freight
weight 100 pounds, from any station In Orange
County TO New York for % cents. The value OF
MS butter is t4Q. and he gets n receipt for H.
II the company loses or damages it. he gets it's
value Tor H.. Yet on one can Of milk. weight 10
pounds and value say 81, retail price. we have
We get no receipt Tor 1t. II 1t is lost. or the milk
nhstracted-and we lose many quarts daily by
tho thirst 81 train hands or tho dishonesty Of
farmers who. knowing that abstraction neglect
70 I'LL their cans and blame the train hands for
The missing milk-it If SO difficult to get proof
OIL loss that the companies Will accept, that II is
not worth while bothering about H..
SO oncrous has been the burden laid by the
railway COMPANIES upon the milk interest that
IL mas stimulated endcavor 10 utilize other
means Of transportation. All last summer
farmers hauled their milk by wagon from clear
md sent II down to the city on boats About
auO cans day were received in that way from
Sing Sing and Fishkill. from 400 to 500 more
from hondout and At least 100 cans are daily
brought to tho city by wagon even from ms far
distant points as Croton Falls. The railroad
managers know that we deal in pershable
commodity, which must find speedy market
or be lost They think we are helpless to battle
against their corporate wealth and power and
Only they and the dealers In swil milk are in
terested In Keeping up the prices OF transporta-
living honestly at present rates. to us. who sup
ply and can scarcely make both ends meet in so
afford 70 pay tho price the railroad companies
would force US TO charge land who are threat
ened with the adulteratcd, watered. skinned
and swill milk which some dealers are prone to
try TO- get q profit out Of this question OF re-
duced tarin on milk transportation is Of equal
:. Mr.. J. II. Rutter, freight agent Of the New
York Central and Hudson River Railroad. who
controls the Harlem and New Haven roads
freghts also, and who Is at the head OF the rail
road opposition TO the milkmen's demands
said; The milkmen have been 10 mo- and we
have had conversation on this subject. Their
principal claim was that the rate Of transporta-
ton was out of proportion to the price they re-
ceiVed Tor mix, and my reply TO that was that
the farmers made n similar complaint that they
did not get enough for their milk at their farms
and they complained that while they consid-
cred the railroad rates high. their principal
grievance was that the milkmen would not give
them more than certain price for their milk.
In some general talks had with the farmers
and their representatives, upon questioning
them why they did not make the milkmen give
them more. they said they could not and sub
siantially acknowledged that the railroad was
the only party upon which they could attempt
to use anything like force; that SO far rs the
railroads were concerned they could go to the
Legislature and appeal to public sentiment
but the milkmen being private individuals they
could not do anything with them. On the other
hand the milkmen complained that the rate Of
freight was too high Tor the price they received
for their milk. Then | asked them why they
did not get more for their milk. and they re-
SO great that they cannot They said that nj
times they have received 10 cents a quart, but
IL has been reduced gradually 10 eight, and one
spoke Of lady who he said. had given him
notice that after certain date she would not
give more than cents. as rival OF his would
supply her for that.
Now, there is no value in any commodity
until II finds market. Mix in the Lands of the
farmer, as milk, Is not worth anything until he
can find some place TO sell IL. Wheat and corn
the same. The value OF either in the hands OF
me producer Is liked by aseertaining what II
cost OF production. transportation. and other
necessary OUTLAWS in getting II into the hands OF
the consumer. IL the milkman sells his milk
so cheap that he must bear the farmers
prices. II does not seem 10 me that II is a fair
thing 10 undertake to bear the price OF trans
portatlo The transportation Of milk Is at
tended with more expense than the trans portA-
| ton OF anything else on a railroad, human be-
ings alone excepted. We have to run a special
train for u, and special cars at special hours.
| and in addition TO running this milk train on
the Harlem road. where our milk business ie
! heaviest we have TO run another train behind
| IT, so as TO have q locomotive and car at hand in
| case OF any accident to the milk train, We do
not do that on the Hudson River road, because
! we have 80 much trafhc on that line that II there
| should be an accident 10 the milk train another
engine would be along anyway in few min
the Harlem line where we have little business.
Well. yes. its true, we do take freight and pas
sengers on that following train. but not enough
to pay for il. We would not run Il but ior
the milk train. We might transport milk
cheaper than We do II Il, could be done
az our convenience on trains that would not add
SO largely to the expense OF doing the business.
But that would no. suit the farmers. They have
10 have certain hours for milking. certain
hours for cooling the milk. certain hours for
hauling IL 70 the railroad certain hours for get
ting Il 10 the city 70 suit the convenience Of Tho
public. The milkmen complain 10 NE that the
profit OF their business il 50 much diminished
10y what we charge above what they think
proper. Tho reply 10 that is: Why don't they
economic in their methods Of doing business
/ asked tho gentlemen who called upon me
why. Instead Of hgylng five or six milkmen 10
All III ns.ftflf O.
Ouef They replied that the competition be-
tween them forced them TO these extra expenses
| told them IL would bee easier and cheaper
for them TO adopt some system. SO that they
could do their business moro economically. and
that by properly organized method they might
pay the farmer fair price AMI stu supply the
public perhaps cheaper than they do now
One Of them remarked that II WIS necessary for
them to have a competition, rs II kent them
from authorizing the milk. | said thought
that WIS poor argument, but did not believe
II was the province Of a railroad company "a
prevent the adulteration Of milk by making low
rates Of freight, and. intact the law provided a
remedy Tor that. Now we Will suppose instead
Of sixty cents We should reduce our rate 10 forty
cents cam and there should spring upiity per
cent more milkmen in consequence OF this re-
duction. and by their competition they should
reduce the price OF milk below what II Is, or IN
crease the cost Of doing their business. the next
thing they would demand another reduction by
the railroads and the question is. where would
in our railroad business we find that com petit
ton prevents our making anything, We either
10 do our business cheaper or make some agree
ment with our competitors by. which we shall
each receive fair remuneration for our services
No matter how much more than ten tons
may be piled upon car, ten tons constitute n
car load. from my point OF view. aud | do moi
deem our charge a ton for the transportation OF
milk excessive even when figured at ton rates
when the extra expense Of II 10 taken into con
sderatiOn. You must remember that in al.
dition TO bringing the milk 10 the city we carry
| back the empty cans free of charge, running
! train fer that especial purpose, In other words
the cars make two trips over the road for sin
gle freight. | told the milkmen We would bt
| willing to make a reduction II we could thereby
! induce such an increase OF business that We
| could make the same amount OF gross earnings
! being willing 10 do the extra work involved fol
| the same amount Of money; but they said they
! did not think any Increase was practicable. II
Is true that milk IS hauled from the line Of the
! Harlem road over to tho Hudson River and
| shipped by boats. Now doesn't IL strike you at
likely that If there WAS so great profit in this
| buiness Of milk transportation We would try Z
| compete for the carriage OF that milk Rail.
roads are generally ready to enter into com
| petition wherever there Ia n prospect OF proft
| and If we could afford to reduce our rates would
we not do so rather than SEQ that business going
| away from us The fact OF the matter is thai
we let i 90 because we cannot afford to make
| the reduction"
Mr. Rutter said. concerning the shipment OIL
milk from ROndout by boat that II had been
| done not bY farmers. no understood, but los