The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-20
FOX A GREAT MILK TRUST.
TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE
BUSINESS OF THE OITH.

rrs scheme includes Roth Production ana
Distribution-Ia Promoters say n VIII
Lead TO Great ~Economies-. ID. GiiinOur.
the Organiser, In Hacked by English Capital.
movement Is on foot In this city by which
an English syndicate. backed, IL Ia said, by un-
limited capital, Is undertaking to secure the alb
,olute control Of all the milk trade OF this city
and vicinity, not only tho wholesale and rotail
trade, but tho production itself. This trust 10
m, idea OF John ID. Gilmour of 203 Groon-
vich street, who formed the biscuit trust a
tow years ago. He represents an English syndi-
cato whose capital is said to DO not less than
e,o 600. 600, and It Is Its intention to buy out
All the milk dealers of this city, wholesale and
FATAL. and all the diaries and farms that supply
them. on such conditions that the active man
.oement of the business will DO left in tho hands
Of the milkmen.
with this In view all tho prominent milk
dealers OF the city have been approached by
Nr. Gilmour or his representatives and asked to
eive the syndicate an option until Oct. / on their
husiness, real estate. aud good will. The propo-
,,t,on il that the milk dealer shall place an es-
inmate upon their value Experts Of the
.yndicate will then examine his books
and his farms, and II the figures
arc satisfactory the syndicate offers to pay him
one.half In cash and one.half in stock of the
company. II he refuses to go in, the plan is to
force hin In or make him quit business.
In round numbers. $4,000 cans Of milk arc
brought into this city every day from Pennsyl-
ysnia, New Jersey. Connecticut. Massachusetts,
and New York state. as Tar west ns Corning.
There are a dozen firms in this city each Of
which has two or more largo dairy farms
where tine work Is carried on according to the
regular milk supply there is the condensed milk
business, which is almost a separate industry.
According to Mr.. Gilmour, the. syndicate has
49, .g,,ra thn control Df nhnnf IN 0l0 nf
the $4,000 cans OF milk brought to this city
daily, and its plan is to get control of $4,000
having secured that much. TO tx prices and dio-
tate lis own terms to such firms as remain on
Nrr. Gilmour has received from the large Arms.
member OF a prominent firm said last night:
"Mr. Gilmour came to us about two weeks
ago md laid his plan before us. We have as yet
taken no action and do not know what we shall
do, for we haven't consulted with many other
firms YET. The plan Is certainly feasible. and
English capital, and it Is not unlikely that we
shall be forged to 80 into tho trust. mi. ,,nu
milk. The milk trade in this city has been pc
s selhsr IN With taAs View or Of Systsmatisins L Co. as 20 a
whole. 1t has always been, in q sense, a cut
else. ASS direct result Of this, in the distlribu.
tion alone there is an enormous waste every
year, Routes cross ass and nd reepo's each other and
psny Of any size extends from one end Of the
city TO the other. Ono Of the things the syndi-
cate proposes 70 do Ia to cut the city up into dis
tricts, having so many wagons in each district
Implied from q district depot. They claim that
with the business thus systematized twenty-five
wagons will DO able to do the work that hfty
Us for our business half In cash and half in stock
and it promises to return as large an income for
the half Of our capital so invested as we get for
The whole now. There Is another point they
make. A t Pawling, for instance, there are two
milk bottling establishments, and at the station
above another. They propose to combine these
three and effect a great saving, and 1t is their
idea to secure control Of all the farmers produc-
Ing milk and by practical combination to lessen
the expense.
Understand that some OF the largest whole
pale dealers look on the scheme with great favor.
nthey secure control of such concerns as the
A~nglo-swiss. the Borden, Decker. Beskes. and
the Sheffield Farms. l don't see that there will
out OF the cold. The natural result OF this will
BE-. that a large number of small dealers
will be wiped out OF existence. This is
going to cause a certain amount OF
hArdships but it remains to DO seen IL the final
result, considered as a whole. will not be bene-
fetal to the people, am inclined to think it
\ viii. Certainly the chief point in favor of tho
n scheme is that tho milkmen will be In control,
fand there will be no dangers arising from con-
y troll by men ignorant Of the business"
II The follow wing figures. showing the extent OF
Board Of Health report for 1895: Number OF
store permits. 1889; number of wagon permits,
l,6tl; number Of cows supplying New York,
l22, 49,; average number OF quarts of milk ship
ped into the city. 1913. BIZ; quarts uf cream, 49,
600; condensed milk, $1,000.