The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-12
Producers and Retailers Meet
and Decide to Increase the
Cost to Consumers One Cent
a Quart
PRODUCERS TO RECEIVE
FOUR CENTS A QUAR-
The New Rate viii Be Adopted
Sunday but the Action of the
Meeting is Not Binding and
Only Represent Sentiments of a
Majority of Those Present

AL an open meeting OIL Inlih pIOuuC-
ers and retailers yesterday morning in
the library of Horticultural Hall it
was voted to raise the price of milk at
retail from six to seven cents, and
| cents a quart, an increase of one-half
cent. 1t was voted that these prices go
into effect Sunday.
The meeting was called by the Wor-
cester Milk Association but after the
election of officers the meeting was
open, all present being allowed to vote.
Consequently the decisions made in re-
gard to prices are not those of any
association or organization and are not
binding in that sense. They simply
represent the sentiments of a major
ity of the producers and dealers pres
ent at the meeting. The vote of the
motion to raise the retail price to
seven cents and the wholesale price to
four cents quart was As to 80.
A large part of those who voted
against the motion were producers and
voted so because they think four cents
quart is not enough for them in
stead of because they are not in favor
of the rise. The meeting was not par
ticularly harmonious and showed that
the retailers, peddlers and producers
| have not yet learned that their inter-
ests are pretty closely connected.
The meeting of the Worcester Milk
Association was called to order at TO- 30
o'clock by President ]. Lewis ELS
| worth. Secretary Albert D. FIagg was
| absent and Fred Midgley was elected
temporary secretary.
President Ellsworth explained the
reasons for the calling of the meeting
! The price of grain has risen so high
that the farmers and milk producers
| cannot feed it to their COWS without a
| loss at the prevailing prices of milk.
! If anything was to be accomplished it
must be done through organized eff
| fort, A large number of those present
were not members of the association,
| and consequently could not vote in it's
! business. This fact was pointed out
| and caused some discussion, until Cal
vim Farnsworth moved that the asso-
! citation elect its officers and that the
meeting then be declared open. The
| motion was carried Only two officers
| were elected. Alderman Louis J. Ken
| dali was unanimously elected president
| and Fred Midgley secretary
A. D. Perry tried to have a member
ship rule insisted upon in order to vote
in the meeting, but could not carry his
! point The first motion in regard to
the price of milk was made by Mr..
| Fielding Of Grafton, who moved that
the producers should get SO cents a
can for milk
w. S. Sherman seconded the motion,
claiming that the consumers would be
| willing to pay the increase in the retail
price that would be entailed. He stat
ed that he, selling as much milk as
anybody in the city, had charged seven
cents a quart since Dec. l, and had
| only lost two customers, each of whom
had taken a pint a day.
| The question was raised about the
agreements which some of the dealers
| and producers have made that the lat
ter should furnish milk for a stated
length of time at a fixed price. Mr..
Sherman said these agreements would
not hold. President Kendall said that
| a man who had consulted counsel on
the subject, had told him that such
| contracts could not be made binding.
One of the dealers remarked, Some of
the farmers have some honor left
A general discussion followed and
| some objection was made to the price
| named in the motion on the ground
| that it was too high. NJ H. Sears
| moved an amendment to the motion
providing that the retail price should
be raised to seven cents a quart and
that the producers should receive four
| cents a quart, an increase of a half
| cent. A lively alteration between the
| producers and the retailers ensued in
| which sharp retorts were numerous. A.
| D. Perry wanted to hear the opinions
| of some of the retailers. Mr.. Fielding
| interrupted him to say that the pro-
ducers would tell what the retailers
| would do. They must increase the
| price of milk or the producers will shut
| them off.
| H. C. Pike Of Paxton said he was
| producing milk at a loss on account
! of the high price of grain He was
| applauded when he said that if the re-
| tailers would give a living price the
| producers would furnish the milk; if
| If they would not the farmers would
feed hay, and have milk famine.
Others who spoke were H. c. Parker,
| George H. Bryant, S. L. Davenport Of
| Grafton, Charles E. Parker of Holden,
| w. A Fuller of Boylston, A. S. New
| ton of Auburn and A. C. Patten of
| Maiden. The amendment was then put
! and carried As to so.
| 1t was voted with only one dissenting
! vote that the increased prices should
| begin Dec. Is.
The result of the meeting leaves the
| situation still unsettled. 1t is evident
! that the retailers are not in perfect
accord with the producers as they fear
that with increased prices the sale of
milk will fall off. The producers, how
ever, say that with the present price
of grain they cannot sell milk at the
old prices without a loss and they
claim to have the upper hand in the
| matter. They say they can force the
retail dealers and peddlers to pay the
increased price. The price of cracked
corn went up another nickel yesterday,
making the present figure 81. so per bag.
Some of the dealers think it will go
as high as 50.