Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-08-23

shipped from this vicinity. Bellows Falls
i, an important shipping point. A forty
1 mile milk route, the longest and largest
| route in Vermont ends here and for the
past few months the farmers have become
much dissatisfied. Milk returns have been
very small, the surplus some month, bring
ing net returns down to II cents per can,
and with the Boston company constantly
adding to their territory the prospect from
the farmers point OF view is far from
bright.
The conditions were favoTa able for form
ing a rival company and early In July the
milk pr ,dncers generally received copy Ct
the following letter:
| CONCORD, Mass, July 1899
Dear Sir:
On the 10 h day OF March
last proposition was submitted to the board
OF directors of this organization to pay
| a straight price, for milk without any
"charge back" or discount for Gloss on sur
plus"
net amount received last year of about tour
cents per can or nearly $l5 year for each
This proposition was coupled with the con-
dition that the dairymen supplying the Bos-
ton market should as an organization pledge
at least two-thirds of all the milk shipped
to it.
Directors were very favorably impressed
with the proposition and by unanim GUS vote
. referred the same to spt cial committee to
investigate and obtain legal advice thereon
: and then take such action as should be
deemed advisable.
After investigating the matter for nearly
two months and obtaining the belt legal adj
vice on the subj. ct, that committee concluded
that the proposition was all right and per
fl CITY legal, that the same was made in good
. faith aud could be made a success if the
dairy men would only be true to themselves
and their own interests and stand together.
Since that time, several meetings Of dairy
men have been held, and u proposition has
over nine -tenths of those present have joined
the organization and pledged their milk.
5 This result has determined US to push the
matter and hold one meeting at each of the
! two hundred shipping points in the Boston
milk district. AS only one meeting can Re
held at each place, it IS very in portant that
every milk producer attend or he may be lett
e out of the deal.
1 enclose notice of the meeting TO be held
: at your place and ask that you notify all the
dairymen in your neighborhood and urge
them to be sure and attend.
All actual milk producers but no "out
siders' are wanted.
Yours very truly,
u o. E. PATCH, Pres.
: This letter was written on the officia
i letter head of the New England milk pro
o ducers union, an organization representing
So 900 members who ship to the Boston
> contractors % 900 cans OF milk daily. Thi
Il union has been in existence some year,
and was organized for mutual protection
4 The union has endeavored to raise The
{ price ard equalize the surplus milk ques
u ton so that some share of the loss would
!, fall on the contractor, but thus far then
efforts have not met with much success.
J.. The proposition advanced in Mr.. Patch
letter was an alluring one. Any scheme
was better than the present conditions
y The farmers knew nothing of the compan.
proposed to be formed, but they did know
W of Mr.. Patch, many of them being mem
:, bers of the union. Any thing the uniol
had a hand in they reasoned was goot
thing and this gave the scheme standing
not warranted by the facts, there being nj
connection between the two organization
except that certain men, members and OF
" fcers of the union, were apparently pro
1t noting the new deal.
l. The bait took. A meeting was held il
l. Saxtons River, July 6. Mr.. w. W
. Briggs representing the milk producer
n company appeared and conducted tn
a meeting. At this meeting misrepresent
Y atoms undoubtedly were made, perhap
q not willfully but rose colored view wa
b given well calculated to allure the unsus
70 pecting and CO.. fiding producer. 5 I
IS The plan as outlined was simple. stocl
,e was to be sold at $40 per share, So to b.
paid at once as a sort of initiation fee, tn
balance to be paid under certain condi
tons later on, but in all probability neve
would be called for as the first paymen
.. was expected to put the organization il
working condition, as wealthy New I ork
m ers with capital of $20,0O0,O00 wer
er back of the business Each share entitled
% the holder to deliver to the company a
- Bellows Falls five cans of milk daily, 70
y five years, for which the company agrees
v to pay, if of the standard test, an averag
he price of nearly % cents per can the yea
We round. No surplus milk would be charge'
to up to the producer, the payment benz
made for the entire amount OF milk &C
Us cepted at Bellows Falls. No stock holde
I'd was to sell to any other milk company
| Stock was not TRANSFERABLE unless cHdhS
20 was made in ownership of farms. Thes
conditions with various others were mad
CT a part of the contract between the com
ne pany and the producer. This contrac
x was lengthy document, apparentl
ID drawn up in the interests of the compan
and was carefully guarded, none of tn
'" share holders being furnished with copy
es The contract was prioted at the head Q
lie blank sheet, each share holder signing hi
20 name in rotation and receiving a receip
. tor his first payment. Mr.. Briggs state
SC that each share holder would be furnishe
with copy of the agreement and certif
~ cate of stock but such papers have nc
n. materialjzed.
:. At the close of the meeting George M
~ Cory was chosen local agent for the town
Of Rockingham, Grafton, Athens an
Westminster. Mr.. Cory worked the loca
field in such an effectual manner that b
soon had nearly all the milk producers en-
rolled who lived in his territory.
With a view Of getting at the farmers
n side of the story the writer Intervene
n. many of the producers who were known t
have taken stock in the company. Nh
l. 49,. Covtons Riyor moo frat aeon A