Rock Island Argus., 1899-11-03
OLD RATES PREVAIL.
Price of Milk Will Not Be Ad.
vanced for the Pres.
ent.
MEETING OF THE UNION DAIRYMEN.

Apply For a State Charter, But Announce
They Have Not Dehnitely Determined
on an Immediate Increase-Causes for
the Change In Position-Proposed Com
biuation Is Unlawful.
Representatives OF the press were
excluded from the meeting of the
Rock Island Dairymen's Union Pro-
tcctive association at Turner hall last
night. There were 20 people in the
gathering, after the adjournment of
which it was announced that all there
was for pu ublication was that the asso-
citation had decided to apply for a
state charter and there would not be
a raise in the price of milk for the
present.
While there is no definite explana-
ton as to the change of position with
reference 10 the contemplated ad-
vance, it is attributed to various
causes, one of which is the discovered
unpopularity of the movement, the
article exposing what the milk men
proposed doing, published in THE AR
GUS last night, having awakened a
just and general opposition to the ad-
vance in price.
Law on tnc SuDJcct'
1t has been found, too, that the
proposed com bine, if to raise the
price, is contrary to law.
The Illinois statutes say: "If any
corporation organized under the
laws of this or any other state or
country. for tran sacting or conduct
ing any kind of business in this state,
or any partnership or individual or as
sociation of persons whosoever, shall
create, enter into. become a mem ber
of or a party to any pool, trust, agree
ment, com bination, confederation or
understanding with any other corpor-
alton, partnership, individual, or any
other person, or association of per-
sons, to regulate, or fix the price of
any article of merchandise or commoG-
ity, or shall enter into, become mem-
ber of or party to any pool, agree
ment, contract. com bination OF con-
federation to fix or limit the amount
or quantity of any article, commodity
or merchandise to be manufactured,
mined. produced or sold in this state,
such corporation, partnership or in
dividual or other association of per-
sons shall be deemed and adjudged
guilty of conspiracy to defraud, and
subject to indictment and punish
ment as provided in this act. ="
The statutes have been sustained N
su bstance by the Illinois supreme
court ruling in the recent glucose
cise aud in other proceedings.
Learning that such is the law it is
hardly necessary to say the project
would be imm ediately abandoned,
even if it had not already been killed
by the popular opposition to it. So
that from all present appearances the
milk consumers of Rock Island may
rest assured that they will not be sub.
iected to any increase in rates,
through a combine. at least, for the
immediate future at any event.
Proper Sanitary Regulations.
The people of this country are, and
quite properly so, opposed to COM
bines, the object of which is to en-
force an advance in the price of the
necessities of life. An attempt to ele-
vate the cost of commodity should
always be accompanied by purpose
to elevate the standard of that COM
modify. The subject of milk is one
which. under the law, is properly
subject TO the most exacting sani-
tary regulations, and if one result
better than another could come from
the agitation which the dealers have
brought about, it would be to have
those requirements applied to the sup
ply here, as should be the case in
every community throughout the
state.