The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-26
MILKMEN AT WAR.
Largest Seattle Dealers Declare
for Lower Rates.
RANCHERS MAY RETALIATE.
The White River Association Declines
Hall a. Galioway's Demand
for Lower Prices.

A special meeting of the White River
Valley and District Milk Producers Asso-
citation was held at Kent, Saturday after
noon. The occasion of the meeting was
TO discuss notification that some of the
members of the association had received
from Hall & Galloway, milk dealers of
Seattle, that the price paid for milk by
said concern was to be reduced two cents
per gallon.
Nearly forty members of the association
were present. Their faces wore a deter
mined look and il was easy TO see that
this attempt to thwart the will of the or
ganization was TO be resisted.
President Durgin called the meeting TO
order, and the secretary stated the position
of affairs, taking occasion to read cor
respondence with Hall Il Galloway as fol-
lows:
James Hart Christopher, Wash, President of
the White River Milk Assoeiation--Dear Sir:
we cannot pay but Is cents per gallon for milk
after January Is, as there is other cheaper milk
coming into the city at this time of the year and
III order to hold our trade we are compelled TO
contract 1t or otherwise We very soon VIII have
no trade to depend on.
We hope you will call meeting at once and
arrange this matter of price SO we continue
our regular shipments. Over production is the
fully, HALL ~ GALLOWAY.
SLAUGHTER, Jan. II. 1891.
Messrs. Hall & Galloway, Seattle, Wash.-D Dear
Strs: am this morning in receipt OF yours OF
this date referring to the milk supply from mem
bcrs of the White River Milk Association. and
desiring that the price be reduced TO IS cents
q gallon at the respective railroad dcpots, when
delivered. win call a meeting for next Satur-
day, the 9th, and submit your letter for eonsid-
Grafton, or earlier ii | can arrange it. notice
you say swe can't pay more than IS cents Tor
IL F&1.
you win pay more than Is cents for Tilk de-
liyered since January ID, althoughyour notice re
ceiyed only this morning? Please reply at once.
would remind you that our price was fixed at 20
cents per gallon, net, for all milk delivered up
to the emu OF March, and OF course it was in
tended then and is still intended TO be the price
until the shippers sell it for less, m 10 the time
before named. without any desire TO be rude
in any way, would say that you are under no
obligation to take the milk If you don't require
it, but i'll behalf OF the Milk Association must
object, aud do object to supplying one gallon at
any reduction from that price, until it is 30 or
dered by the shippers, and thereSpresask you for
an early reply. ! hope TO be in Seattle by the
$40 a. IN. train Monday, and would be pleased
to sec you. Yours truly, JAMES HART.
SEATTLE. Jan. II, 1891.
James Hart, Slaughter, Wash. Dear Sir: Yours
after January -, that we could not afford
to pay more than that, and if the White River
Milk Association could not arrange to ship at
such prices we would be compelled to contract
cheaper milk or lose valuable trade.
There is quite a good quantity of cheaper
milk in town now, and we arc carrying sur
plus which is not business on our part to put
on the market at less figure so long as we
- : HALL Il GALLOWAY.
Secretary Hart said, further that on re-
ceipt of the last letter he had taken train
for Seattle and called upon the gentlemen
to learn still more of their designs. He
talked with three members of the firm.
They alleged that they could make no
money at the milk business if forced to
pay over Is cents per gallon for the milk
product. They claimed that there was an
unusual supply of milk for this season of
the year, and that they could buy con-
siderable portion of the amount they
needed at the reduced price He, the
secretary, told them that the producers did
not blame the dealers if they produced
cheaper milk if they had the opportunity,
but for some time the shippers could have
got - cents, but did not exact that
amount because they had agreed TO adj
here to the Decent rate until the end of
March, they thought it but right that
the dealers act in a similar spirit of
frmness. He further told them that if
they persisted in refusing to pay more
than Is cents the result might be that the
entire product controlled by the association
might be withheld.
Members complained that the dealers
and that they had stopped returning suffi-
cient cans to be filed without due notice.
Altogether it looked as though the dealers
had made up their minds to attempt to
break up the association by dealing thus
with the smaller producers, one by one.
The president of the association advo-
Gated meeting this scheme by Withholding
association milk altogether; they were
strong enough TO take the bull by the
horns. The members OF the association
must be protected at all hazards. Another
way suggested was to begin selling milk at
a lower price than any outsider had yet
offered-to sell it at 10 cents per gallon if
necessary, or even TO send it in free for
time, and either starve the low-priced men
out or force them to join the association.
If there was to be fight then have one III
earnest.
Quite number of shippers are sending
their milk 10 Tacoma, where 1t
was wanted at the association rate.
More will be sent Davis IL r., the
Seattle, did not refuse or object TO paying
20 cents per gallon, and as conse-
quence Hall IL Galloway are being relieved
of the alleged surplus.
The discussion finally closed by the
presentation by Mr.. Strong of resolution
declaring that the association would adj
here TO the rate liked upon until April /.
This was unanimously carried.
Mr.. Nelson reported that some of the
shippers at O'Brien station had been noti-
fed by Hall Il Galloway that but one train
per day would take milk from that point.
Numbers thought that if such was the case
the notice would have come from the rail
road company and not the dealers; posi-
bly, it was dodge" of the latter TO
further annoy the shippers.
On motion the secretary was instructed
to communicate with the Northern Pacific
headquarters and ascertain the facts
The producers adjourned fully deter
mined TO test their own strength and their
ability to do their own business as against
the Hall & Galloway firm. They claim, and
they are able to prove the claim, that they
will present high prices of feed, that they
cannot do business at profit If their milk
must be sold for lower rate than 20 cents
per gallon. They are outSpoken IN their
desire to avoid a conflict. But they have
endeavored 10 deal honorably with the
milk distributors and justly with the con-
suners If the fight is brought on 1t viii
not be by their action; they arc acting
upon the defensive.
The regular monthly meeting Of the as
ISOLATION takes place ut Kent in the after
noon OF the nrst Saturday in February,
when possibly new Developments may
have taken place.
On the nrst Saturday IN March the assoc
citation will TX upon the rate at which
they viii ship milk for the six months be-
ginning with April lst.
Several new members signed the cOnsti-
tuition and the bond TO abide by the rates
fixed from time TO time by the association,
Members privately expressed themselves
as desirous of amicable relations with the
dealers, but they are not disposed TO take
kindly such arbitrary and unjust treat