The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-16
MILK GOING UP
Consolidated Milk Exchange
Decides to Advance
the Price.
CONSUMERS The SUFFERERS
Farmers Will Be Paid a
Quarter of a Cent More
a Quart.


tee of the Consolidated Milk Exchange, in
New York late Tuesday afternoon, it was
decided to advance the price paid to the
farmer quarter of cent quart. Those
who are in a position to know claim that
this will result in an advance of at least
cent quart in the price the consumer
must pay, and it is expected that the
price paid to farmers Will be increased
another quarter of cent before the end
of the month.
The reason given for the expected raise
in the price to the consumer is that sew
eral advances have been made to the farm
er this summer, and the wholesale deal
ers have divided the extra expense en-
tailed with the retailers. This has cut
down their profits almost to nothing, and
as long ago as the middle of July they
said that if another advance was made
to the farmers they would raise the price
to the consumers enough so as to get back
at least a part of their former profits. The
retailers, including the milk peddlers, are
not likely, it is said to take formal action
in the matter, but the majority of them
will undoubtedly raise the price to their
customers about one cent a quart. This
will enable them it is said, to make
about the same profits they were making
early in the summer before the first ad-
vance was given to the farmers.
AS for the consumers of milk, 1t is point
ed out they have cause to be thankful
that considering all the conditions that
have prevailed this summer, they have
not had to pay higher prices before now
In about month the average family gives
up a good deal of the supply 1t consumes
during the hottest months of the year, and
the added expense means much less suf-
fering now, 1t is said, than it would have
meant if the price had been raised a
month earlier.
A man who attended the meeting said
that the advance in price had nothing to
do with the demand of the Five States
Association, made several weeks ago, that
the schedule of rates paid the farmer dur
ing August be raised. 1t is asserted that
the advance was caused solely by the
condition of the market and the relation
of the supply to the demand.
The situation was summed up by a
member of the Consolidated Mix Ex-
change yesterday as follows
The price paid to the farmer was ad-
vanced quarter of cent quart yes
terday, and it is practically assured that
another advance Of the same amount will
be made by September /. Under certain
conditions, which may easily come about
still further advances would have to be
made.
THE reason for the present advance is
to be found in the hot and dry weather..
The entire supply of Jersey City comes
r.
vania, but chiefly from New York. The
drought has been excessive. and the corn,
which most of the milk farmers feed their
cows is practically a ruined crop. About
this time of year the second crop of grass
is usually cut and the drought has affect
ed this so severely that many of the farm
ers will not attempt to cut any. This will
materially reduce the fodder supply, and
the pasturage is almost exhausted.
"The excessive heat as well as the
drought, has been an important factor in
raising the price. 1t has worked in two
ways, by decreasing the quantity of milk
given by the cows, and by largely increas-
ing the demand. These two factors, the
heat and the drought, are really the only
causes of the last advance.
1--WE wholesale dealers are at the end of
our rope We have stood the expense of
several raises to the farmer and now we
are forced to raise the price to the retailer
a half a cent a quart This means that
the retailer, who has been selling milk
for five and six cents a quart, will now
have to charge seven cents at least Milk
that is now selling at eight and ten cents
a quart may not be affected by the raise
LAS for the conditions that will exist by
September l. of course the demand will
be less, but the supply will be SO much
smaller that the shortage will be felt
much more seriously than now. Two out
of every three cows are new milch in the
spring, and this means that they will soon
begin to go dry. Then, too, the prices of
cheese and butter have recently gone up,
and there is an added inducement for the
farmer to sell his milk to the creameries
In order to counteract this we shall have
to give him another advance in about a
month.
"Too much stress cannot be laid on the
Importance of keeping the farmers in
good humor just now, for the Five States
Association is constantly on the alert and
only too willing to seize any opportunity
to influence the farmers to withdraw their
milk supply from US. With the present
shortage of milk, If any considerable
number of farmers should withhold their
supply, it would be a serious matter and
would oblige US to pay them large sum
to get back their supply. An ounce of
prevention Is worth a pound of cure. and
it will be cheaper, In the long run, TO
keep the farmers with us by paying them
literally than to allow them to be drawn
away from us.at the most critical moment
in the year"