New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-30
HOW OTHER CITIES GET MILK
BOSTONS CONTRACTORS
4 SMALL RING CONTROLLING THE ENTIRE
TRADE
GROWTH OF THE BUsINEss-THE NEw-sSGLANv
MILK PRODUCERS UNION AND WHAT
IT HAS ACCOMPLISHED.


Boston. Jan. 20 tSpcciaD.-Farmers are now
living in the suburbs of Boston who. looking
back TO the time they were in the prime of life.
can remember when the capital Of the State had
greater number of people TO be fed than ara
now found in each of several of the more i'm.
portant inland manufacturing cities. Boston then
obtained its milk supply, as do other cities now,
from the wagons of farmers living within easy
driving distance. In the good farming sections
of Dedham and few other towns within fifteen
miles of the city, milk is still produced in con-
siderable quantities and carried in daily by farm
ers with their own teams. These start soon after
midnight and in snowy weather all try to keep
together to make the track easier. so it is not
unusual for residents along the route to hear the
rattle of dozen sets of heavy wheels closely
following one another during the small hours of
the night. The delivery in the city is completed
before the days business of most workers is be-
gun. In the afternoon the teams NAV
again be seen on the return trip the drivers read.
ing their daily paper, or. that being finished
taking much needed nap, reclining on the seat
and empty cans, which often piled several
tiers deep in the body of the wagon The horses
that pull these milk wagons learn the route and
their own part so thoroughly that they can be
trusted with confidence to keep the track or turn
out for meeting teams without any direction
from the nominal driver.
As these suburban farmers obtain the retail
price for their milk. and have no middleman to
share the profits, they are generally fairly we'll
satisfied with the business particularly if within
reasonable distance of brewery, where brewers
grains can be cheaply purchased for feeding their
stock
But Boston long ago outgrew the suburban
milk supply and for many years has had to depend
chiefly upon the railroads and farmers located
from twenty to fifty miles away for the main
portion. As the distance widened between pro-
ducer and consumer, the mddeman became an
apparent necessity in this, as in all other trades
between people living far apart but dependent
one upon another for supply or demand. The
middeman in the Boston milk trade is known
as contractor, and he has come to be the con-
trolling power in the trade The contractors visit
the farmers and engage their milk to be delivered
at a railroad station, where they have one or
more cars in waiting with attendants to see to the
shipping and transportation. The contractors
furnish cans. S l-2-quart size, made heavy for
rough usage, and keep an account of each farm
er's product and pay for the milk after it is sold
and the collections made from the retailers who
purchase direct of the contractors. The number
Of contractors has increased with the growth of
the city, but the trade is controlled by small
number OF men or firms about nine in all. that
reckoned AS contractors. and who are associated
together for mutual advantage, though there are
two or three milk cars sent TO the city daily by
individuals who not members of the con-
tractors organization. The contractors have
won reputation for shrewd business
ability. They have aimed to be in
condition at all times to supply not only the
regular daily demand, but also any extra call
on account of great gatherings in Boston and
other cities in the vicinity. To do this 1t was
found necessary to engage a considerable quantity
above the usual expected demand and to provide
means of disposal OF what surplus might accumu-
late. Some of the contractors established butter
factories in the city Others located their factories
near the country end OF the route, and only ship
TO the city such quantity as is presumed to he
wanted.
20 take all the good milk offered, but they have
also had an opportunity TO claim that they were
receiving large amounts of surplus milk and must
figure the price accordingly. With an unlimited
demand, the farmers within reach of Il milk route
have inclined TO increase production beyond the
of the consumers: this being especially true
in seasons of abundant pasture-feed or low prlces
for grain, and, with an increased prOuuct, the
contractors have not been backward III talking OF
overproduction and lower prices. There Is no
denying the fact that there has been more mix
ers within forty miles of the city have given up
the making of butter anu cheese, and turned their
attention chiefly to mllkmaklng as something
requiring much less skill, less WORK 1OT the women
folks and less bother all round. AS the churnS
were sent TO the garnet and the butter-custOmerS
lost, the contractor gradually came 10 nave me
trade all his own way. Prices dropped, TIL the
farmers found that they were selling at cost or
less, or with an exceedingly small margin. 10
aud TO their troubles, the contractors had a
habit when milk abundant OF being snOrU
hat no would
his milk at home perhaps till II soured Such
milk was of little value after butternaklng ne
came as il were, lost art III The househO!d
Another trick still more aggIavatng, was the
of milk day or more DID, pronounced
" sour when received" especially SO II the farmer
was positive, as he often mlght pe, thaV IL was
perfect when il left his hands.
Dissatisfaction increased till about twenty-five
wears ago the farmers OF Eastern MASSACHUSETTS
and Northern Ncw-Hampshlrc undertook 10 or
ganize for protection against the pressure oroughU
upon them by the contractors. Their 0rganHa-
ton took the name of the New-England MILK FRO
ducers' Association. Meetings were held once or
twice wear and prices and methods discussed.
but not much was accomplished in the way OF
controlling the milk trade. Members PAID Sl
year df dunLed sufficiently by Inc secretary. OF
treasurer and in return were allowed tie Priv
lege of voting or resolutions offered In the dlrec-
ton of higher prices. The meetings were open
to all and were invariably attended by milk ped
lers and members OF the contractors asSoclauoh'
who often took the lions share in the discussion
For many gears il has been the custom OIL the
contractors to fix the price of milk in advance
for each hafyear and to stick TO their prices; UNI
less II was more convenient TO change them latcr
on III pasture feed was extra good or the price
of grain dropped in market, the mill producer
was never surprised to learn that milk was in
over-supply and the contractors must lose or
reduce the price, and the reduction seemed always
TO be descending instead Of ascending.
Finding that the old association was doing very
little good by its annual semi-annual passage
Of resolutions, few men four or five years ago
TO start an organization upon n differ
ent basis An agent was sent to Syracuse 10 in
spect the milk trade Of that city and 10 travel /
Hampshire and urge them TO take more decided |
stand in regard TO fixing the price of milk The I
result was a new organization absolutely repre-
sentative in character. It's rShip def |
mite and It's rneetinGs clnSed eXcent 10 memhers |