New-York tribune., 1900-05-14
EFFORT TO RAISE MILK PRICES.
TO-DAY'S SUPPLY WILL BE AN INDICATION
OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF
THE UNDERTAKING.

The notable success of the Ice Trust in ex-
torting millions from the citizens of New-York
bv the simple process of cornering the supply OF
ice and raising the price seems to have inspired
the ambition Of one William Graves to
put up the cost of another necessary OF
life as already recorded in The Tribune
While President Morse plays his game OF
freeze OUT Mr.. Graves proposes to milk
the public. His idea is to corner the DAIRY
If the farmers 70 reap the entire prohts OF
this proposed advance in the retail price OF mix
many New Workers would not grudge paying IT,
since. unlike the natural ice crop which is Gre
ated without the labor of man, the milk supply
involves much hard work and the investment OF
a vast aggregate capital to produce it. But the
real motive underlying this attempt to force up
the price OF milk is plainly apparent at the very
outset il the report is true-and there seems no
reason to doubt it-that notice has been sent
by Mr.. Graves to the milk dealers that he must
have five cents can extra as his commission
as selling agent of the milk producers for whom
he acts
Twenty-fou thousand cans of milk a day are
received in this city If Mr.. Graves had the
power to levy this tax on all the milk coming
into the city he could add $1,000 day. or
S43S0O0 a year, to his present income. Even an
ice baron might envy such powers of financier-
ing But it is not seriously supposed for an in
stant that Mr. Graves or the men behind him
have the power corner the city's milk supply.
Dealers say that the dairy farmers are not
sufficiently we'll organized for that. Moreover.
the Five States Milk Producers Association, for
which Mr. Graves ostensibly acts as selling
agent IN this city, while composed of worthy
men none too we'll paid for their product, as
many milk dealers declare, not, it is be-
eved foolish enough to let themselves be led
hy no of
equities squeeze the poor of this great city
by putting an exorbitant price upon milk which
Is even more of a necessity than ice
To-day will demonstrate how much truth there
is behind the boasted power of Mr.. Graves and
his hackers, of whom the chief Is said TO be
Charles r. Flint to cause the milk producers TO
hold back their supply from this great market
at a word from him. The amount which they
held back Saturday estimated at several
hundred cans. Mr. Graves's own estimate. IL is
said, was one thousand cans. and he expected
the shortage TO be much greater to-day, increas-
ing every day thereafter until his demands are
complied with. The sheer wantOnness of this
strike is the more apparent when II is con-
sidered that cows are giving more milk at this
time of the year than at any other. and by
process of reasoning, a fictitious such as
the Ice Trust uses, can it be argued that there is
scarcity in the supply When the price of milk
was raised last winter apparently sound rea-
son was given for it, namely, that the serious
drouth of the previous summer had made fodder
dear by shortening the hay crop Even If
NeWYorker feels that he is being mulcted it
softens the blow TO him If excuse for it is
given to him which he can believe; but to have
his money demanded for better reason than
that the other man wants 1t is irritating to say
the least; and II a powerful Milk Trust should be
built up upon the foundation which Mr. Graves
and his hackers trying to lay, and if it
should develop power enough 70 dictate abso-
lutely the price of milk to this city not onlv
would the poor of the city suffer terribly but
dealers says, the reputation that New-York
would get a trust racked community would
aid greatly in building up other cities at it's
expense.