Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-03-28
MILK STRIKE THREATENED.
Thirty.Two Cents per Can Demanded -
Contractors will not Grant lt-Milk
Ordered off April |.

The Milk Producers union and the
BOSTON contractors are at loggerheadS. |
The producers want price which the
contractors refuse to give and the result !
is that the milk has been ordered off
after April /. If the farmers hang to- |
oether this means milk famine in Bos- |
ton.
A. b. Ward, president of the union, re-
Gently issued the following circular
The directors of the central union met
the contractors Monday, March Is, and
as instructed by large body of produc-
erS. renewed their demand for straight
price of thirty-three cents per can for
milk delivered in Boston. The contrac-
TORS refused to accede to their demand,
but offered last summers price of thirty
three cents, the surplus condition the
same as usual with the added restric-
ton that if at any time the condition of
the market warranted, such as milk be-
inc shipped in to compete against them,
etc. they reserved the right to raise or
lower the price to meet the conditions of
the market at the beginning of each
month, acting i'll accordance with the
constitution, article TX, which states
that if the contractors and directors fail
to agree, the difference shall be referred
back to the local sections, who shall be
empowered to order off the milk, if, in
their Judgment, this course seems advis-
able. As the SureSt way of securing
your reply it was voted by the director
to instruct the secretary to call mass
meeting Tuesday, March 26, said meets
ing to be held in Wesleyan Hail. Broom
field street, Boston, Mass, at 10 A. NJ.
The following account of the meeting
and exhortation to the producers is from
the pen of w. W. Barry of Saxtons River,
director for Vermont:
In conformity to the above call large
body of producers came together in Bos-
ton, Tuesday, March 26 and through pc
titions and instructions the meeting
voted by large majority and instructed
their directors to stand for straight
price of 30 cents for milk delivered in
Boston without any restrictions, or no
milk after March 81. This means that
in the Judgment of a large number of
farmers and milk producers that it is
necessary to order off the milk in order
to stop the entertainments of the con-
tractors. l wish to call your attention
to the fact that the restriction referred
to above means great damage to milk
producers, and after a most rigid protest
by your directors the contractors would
not concede in the least. Now we be-
lieve that in equity and justice, we
should stand together and act as unit,
as one man, then these wrong will be
rghted 1t seems by all the evidence
that milk is not over plenty in Boston
and the time is just right for business.
Will you stand by your directors for
right and justice? l want to illustrate
the adjustment of price. A man who
took dinner with me in Boston said he
used ten cans of milk day; the price
paid was 45 cents can. The farmer
gets 81 cents of this if put on the car at
Bellows Falls and the contractor "a
cents. What do you think of the adjust
ment? If you want change l believe
| yOn can have it. Your directors are not
| for sale. We will lead the charge. Will
| you follow?
A strike would not effect this particu
lar section nearly so much as it would
two or three years ago. At present the
Boston trust runs car from Middlebury
to Bellows Falls and the milk gathered
is made into cheese at the company's
factory here. Another car leaves the
Bellows Falls station on the $50 train
each morning and is brought back on the
$50 in the evening. The Saxtons River
route run by Charles FAIR is the only
team bringing milk to this station
and Mr.. Farr collects less than 100 cans
daily. About 100 cans from Vermont
are put on at Walpole and an equal num-
Der from the New Hampshire side. Other
stations lower down add their quota and
the car goes into Boston well loaded.
The situation is decidedly interesting
and whether the farmers stand back of
the action of the directors remains to be
seen.