Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-03
THE MILK PROBLEM
Producers Dissatisfied With
Present Rates.
There is Likely TO be Some Discussion at
the Annual heetlng of the Union and
Maybe Some Changes in the
Officials.

There is fame, and perhaps a dollar
or so, for the man who carries the head
that is large enough to solve the milk
riddle
1t is within long fortnight of the an
nual meeting of the New England Milk
Producers Union, which is held in Bos-
ton, Jan 10, and nearly every one of
the delegates to that meeting is already
primed with questions about the pros
poets OF future gain or advancement
through the union.
The present management of the union
will have no easy task to explain the
! last deal with the milk contractors, for
while there was far from the necessary
vote commanding a milk strike, the rep
tresentatives Of the different sections will
refuse to be satisfied that the directors
made the best trade possible. The re-
suit of the compromise" between the
union and the contractors has been as
was predicted by the Spy, very gen
eral dissatisfaction on the part of the
producers, which increases as the date
for the annual meeting of the union APP
proaches.
! The period of three months, during
which the contractors carry FIVE per
cent of the surplus, in settling monthly
accounts is about over, and for the
! next three months the producer must
carry all of the surplus, which, of
course, lowers the price he receives for
his milk The COMPROMISE" Of Octo-
| Der has lowered the ret price of milk
| for the producer to just this extent. Last
winter the contractor raid the same net
price that he pays this winter, and in
addition carried five per cent of the sur
plus. This year he carries but
two and one-half pen cent OF the SUR
Plus, for the producer carries all of the
surplus for three of the six months, for
which term the compromise holds.
| And this compromise was effected in
! the face of the strongest organization
the milk producers have ever had. The
union was reoTganized about a year ago
in this city, and for the purpose of get
| ting better price for the producer, In
J stead Of a lower one. The reorganiza-
| ton was precipitated by the action of
the contractors last year in fixing the
gross price for milk at two cents lower
than the winter price of the preceding
winter. The milk producers were up in
arms irstanter, and at the meeting in
horticultural Hall, more than a year
ago, the new union was placed on a
firm footing and the fight for the old
price began.
The contractors We're not at all dis
mayed until the appointment of John B.
Bowker of this city as business mana
ger OF the union. Mr.. BoWkers tactics
were revelation to the contractors,
and before they were aware of it, Bow
ker was in possession of valuable infor-
nation which they had persistently re-
fused to give to him, and also had the
United States interstate commerce com
7 hot 81.
that hadn't been filed according to law.
In short, Bowker had the lines well laid
for rafting fight in the fall, when the
pressing duties of the State Grange fair
called for his entire attention, and
forced him to leave the office His sue
cessor and a majority of the board of
directors didn't choose to continue the
contest on such aggressive lines. and as
result, the contractors saw their on
portunity and held off the winter deal
until the management jumped at the
compromise bait.
II IS not surprising that there is dis
satisfaction among the members Of the
union They were told year ago that
there was power in a strong organiza-
tlon, but the terms of the compromise
deal have failed to demonstrate these
claims. The producers say that if the
union counted for anything, it should
az least have held the price of milk at
the figures for last winter The sub-
mission to a cut-down is not understood
and has given the producer his chief
ground for complaint.
But what is to be the outcome of the
annual meeting, two weeks hence?
There's the rub, and there's fame and
glory for the fellow who will prove him
self Moses and lead the milk producers
out of the land of bondage to that of
various schemes proposed and a drive
Oh some Importance will be made against
portion of the present management.
But the dissatisfied ones hereabo saw
no plan such as that proposed by the
New England Homestead a week ago
mas any promise of success. This pa
per suggests the retirement of Hon
Charles A. Gleason of New Braintree as
president of the union and the election
of John E. Mcclellan of Grafton in his
place. Mr.. Gleason's name is suggest
ed as a member of the new board of
directors. This is the most radical fea-
ture of the reorganization scheme pro-
posed by the Homestead. 1t appeals to
none of the men who are leaders in the
movements that have resulted in the ad-
vancement of the farming community
as class, or in the Improvement of the
condition and welfare of its members.
While President Gleason has been. in
the minds of many of the members of
the union, trifie conservative and
careful, there is no question as to his
ability, his sound Judgment, his clear
medicines, his sterling honesty and, in
addition to these qualities, his years
or gfatultous service in the interests of
the farmers. 1t isn't known that Pres
ident Gleason is a candidate for re-elec-
ton, but in the absence of any state
ment from him, his friends have con-
cluded that he is willing to serve again,
and are making an active canvass in
his behalf. If Mr.. Gleason is to be de-
feated on account OF the failure of the
union TO maintain the price of milk. his
friends claim it will be a fruitless re-
venge for the producers who lacked the
sand and courage to instruct their d.
rectors to get certain price for the
winter milk or strike. With these in
structions, President Gleason would
have proven brilliant general
and leader, and would have led
the union to quick success. But
as the great majority of the sections
were against drastic measures, the pres
ident hardly felt warranted in standing
out for them.
There is a drive also against the pres
ent secretary of the union, George II.
Whitaker of Boston, and unless the
signs of the times fail entirely, Mr..
Whitaker will be legislated out Of office
by the consolidation of the offices of sec
rotary and general manager. There is
an attempt to get John B. Bowker to
act as general manager for another
year, but Mr.. Bowker says nothing
about his intentions or his plans If
he will stand for the place, there isn't
much doubt about his election. Other
wise, John B. Mcclellan will be contin-
11ad nc oanara1 M q n y erar He hos H1laJ