The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-13
State Grange Master Jewett to
Champion the Farmers.
Milk Producers Wrongs to Be Aired in To.
days Convention and Redress Attempt
ed---Grangers Prepared to Make
Fight for Their Rights.

The Massachusetts, Changers are go
ing to take up the milk question.
The annual session OF the state
grange which opens this morning in
Horticultural Hall, is to speak with
no uncertain voice upon the treatment
accorded the milk producer by the milk
contractor.
There as every reason to believe that
the grange will take up the battle that
has recently been abandoned by the
New England Milk Producers Union
and make fight for the milk produc-
ers of Massachusetts and allow the
milk producers from other states to do
the best they can.
The matter is to be brought before
the attention of the grangers this
morning by State Master Warren c.
Jewett of this city, who has given up
considerable of the time allowed him
for his annual address to the consider
alton of the milk question
State Master Jewett offers no rec
concentrations That isn't the business
of the master of the state grange upon
such an important matter as this. He
simply calls the subject to members
attention and urges them to action.
The grangers are dull, however, if
they fail to act, after the remarks by
State Master Jewett. He is going to
outline the situation as only those
grangers who are milk producers can
do it. If the grange is as wide awake
on matters affecting the good of the
| order as it generally is. there win be
ring to their action on the milk ques-
ton that will worry the milk contrac-
tors in Boston, more than they have
been worried since their tireIess foe,
John &. Bowker of Worcester, got out
of their way through his election as
city auditor of Worcester.
State Master Jewett is to take up the
work where Bowker laid it down. He
brings this subject to the consideration
of the grangers with more force than
state master has spoken on any sub
ject for several years.
State Master Jewett calls the atten-
ton of the grangers to the abandon
ment by the producers of the union Of
the fight for individual milk rates for
Boston shippers, when the conflict was
nearly won. He urges the grangers to
consider the adyisability of taking the
matter up at the point Of it's abandon
ment and of carrying it through to a
successful finish.
And it now develops that the petit
ton for hearing by the railroad COM
missioners from the Milk Producers
Union, on the matter of the establish
ment of individual milk rates from diff
ferent points into the Boston market,
which was withdrawn by vote of the
directors of the union, was not petit
ton of the union as a body, after all.
Instead of this, it was petition signed
by individual members Of the Milk
Producers Union and as such, the
directors of the union had no right to
withdraw it, and it still remains with
the railroad commissioners.
1t is rumored that the grangers pro-
pose to take this petition up again,
and with Col. Hopkins as counsel, fight
the matter to the end and compel the
establishment of individual rates.
1t will be remembered that the with
drawal of the petition was the result
of the vote of the board of directors
of the Milk Producers Union at a. meet
ing held in Boston. There was a con-
ference in the morning with the con-
tractors, and then the directors went
into executive session and voted to
Withdraw the petition-their petition,
as they thought-and give up the bat
tie The contractors in the meantime
had assured the directors that invid
ual rates would be furnished each ship
per on application, and hence the use
lessness of going to the railroad COM
missioners.
It has been nearly three months
since the battle was given up. The
contractors, meanwhile, have furnished
no rates of a satisfactory nature, as
promised the directors of the union;
in several instances, applications for
rates have been ignored by the con-
tractors.
Worcester county includes many milk
shippers to the Boston market. They
are getting tired of their treatment by
the Boston contractors, and undoubted-
ly, through their efforts, the attention
of the grange is to be called to the
matter. State Master Jewett as a
milk producer, who is fortunate enough
to have his own market at his next
door, for he is one of the prominent
milk retailers in Worcester, can east
ly sympathize with the producer who
has to go to Boston for his market,
and it looks as if he had entered the
lists as the farmers champion with
vengeance.
State Master Jewett will say in sub
stance, today, upon this question:
The production of milk for the Bos-
ton market is the mainstay of nearly
$500 Massachusetts farmers. The bust
ness at the Boston end has slowly but
surely come into the hands of a few
contractors-pra practically one. These con-
tractors have lost no opportunity to
BILE. and the squeezing process has gone
on until it has or should have reached
its limit, and the producer realizes that
he is completely at the mercy of the
contractor-his butter market gone, his
creamery under the control of the en-
envy and the only facilities for ship