The Newtown bee., 1900-06-01

 are paid to the middlemen, there should be left to the farmers, who have many millions of capital invested, little more than one-third of the amount paid by the consumer. There is no other article o1 universal necessity where the difference between the price received by the pro- dueer and the price paid by the consu- mer Is as great as milk. Milk is now be- ing shipped to all. buyers who pay the Els. M. F. A. price. There is no strike in the milk business. The farmers ask a price for their property and sell it to any one who pays that price. We know of no law that will compel us to sell out prop erty at the buyers price unless it is sat- isfsctory.
 The Sun in an editorial the other day tried to wave the trust bugaboo in the eyes of the people. But it neglected to state, which fact has already been brought out great many times, that what the farmers are after is fair share of the profits from the sale of the milk, and not to raise the price. On this trust business, the Sun says "The organiza- ton at which so much has been heard in this city recently under the designation of the Milk Trust rightfully deserves it's name. Instead of being 8 lawful cor poration, like the American Sugar Con- pany or the American Ice Company, it is a trust, of the Original Jacobs order. The farmers in the territory from which this city draws it's vast milk supply have for long time been dissatisfied with the price they obtained for their product from the city milk dealers. So, to the number of several thousands and after great deal of preliminary hard work, they organized themselves into 8 Yerita- ble trust called the Five States Milk Pro- ducers' Association, by means of which the disposal of their milk was placed in the hands of two or three men who, by suppression of competition, by selling or refusing to sell and otherwise msnipu- lating prices as they saw fit or were able, are endeavoring to bring about a very considerable increase in the price of milk, to the pecuniary advantage of the mem- bers of the association and the signers of the ''trust' agreement. The success at- tending this effort so far seems to have been doubtful. There has been daily shortage here of from 1,500 to ,. 900 can- of milk, but this has caused no serious trouble, nor has it materially raised the price of milk. Whether it raises the price or not, or whether the farmers Milk Trust is or Is not successful, we wish to point out that here, belonging to the very people who are supposed to hold the antitrust idea most dear and who are loudest in their demands that all such organizations shall be suppressed, there is trust complete and perfect. Az 8 necessity of life ice carnot be compared with milk"
 Editor Myrick of The Homestead, who in years gone by almost alone and single handed has fought for the farmers inter- ests along these lines, hits the nail on the head in his usual vigorous style in the last issue of his paper. He says ''Naturally the milk dealers association of New York City insists that the pur- pose of the Five States Milk Producers association is to monopolize the business and force higher prices for milk from consumers of Greater New York. Con- sidering the wide margin, however, be- tween the meager 2c per quart the farmer gets, and the 6, or Sc per quart the consumer actually pays, 1t is easily seen there Is too much of 8 middle.man'a charge. This should be cut down with out forcing the consumer to pay a frac. tion of cent more for milk. Certainly the farmers have good case in making all commendable efforts to secure more remunerative prices for their product.'
 In regard to the final outcome of this contest we are not so saDguine of imme. 5ieta suocass q Mr SeaJev We he1ieve