The Newtown bee., 1901-02-08
TOWN TOPICS,
LOCAL MILK PRODUCERS.


AN ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE To-
CAL BRANCH OF THE FIVE STATES ,
MILK ASSOCIATION HELD AT THE
BRICK BUILDING.
The adjourned meeting of the local
branch Of the Five States Milk Pro-
dUcerS' Association was held. last
week Thursday night. at the Brick
building,and was quite largely attend
ed. e. $. Lowell called the meeting
to order. Mr. Lowell proposed that
the producers should make the Mutual
Milk and Cream Co. of New York a
straight offer of lOc can off for the
year. When asked if he was ready to
put his milk in under such a contract,
Mr. Lowell replied that he would.
A general conversation On the milk
question then followed. II. p. HOySOn
of Palestine said he would like some
thing done for the farmer, sonnet hing
for the good. w. G. Johnson said he
regarded this last venture as a move
to squeeze out Lee & SeaDrook and so
let in other parties. After they had
done this they could control the mar
ket and dictate prices. ID. G.. Beers
said he had listened to the remarks of
the various farmers. He thought
farmers would do we'll to bear in mind
that competition is the life Of trade.
If we should all go to selling to the
of nc would
be without d market. ''WOuldn' it
be BETTER" continued Mr. Beers, Ito
keep them all Il going?:"
w. &. johnson was asked how much
he had averaged to pay at his cream
cry for butter fats. Mr. Johnson re-
piled that he could not say off hand.
but thought 1Sc was the lowest price
paid for fats. Mr. BOySon stated IL
think you are paying we'll for fats,
certainly do At this juncturc sew
eral farmers managed to push their
way into the crowded room, which
brought out the remark from some
one: "This trolley car isn't full yet"
John II. Peck said he would like to
have kept on with Mr. Johnson, but
that he supposed he should sell to the
one paying the highest price for milk.
In regard to the market for milk
Mr. Lowell said he knew of parties in
Bridgeport who had been buying milk
in Falls Village and Great Darlington
who wanted to buy it in NcwtOWn.
W. c. Johnson said he asked Mr. Lee
if he couldn't handle the milk for 1Oc
a can, and that Mr. Lee replied that a
creamery could not be run proitaily
thought it was passing strange that
Mr. Lee should spring these contracts
so early in January.
Mr. johnson said that Mr. Lee had
come to him and wanted to establish a
creamery at his place, as it was more
central for the milk producing terri
tory. Mr. Lee had spoken of putting
in a switch and milk platform. Mr.
Johnson said that Mr. Lee had made
up his mind that the creamery at the
Newtown station was not rightly 10
Gated.
Nh Lowell asked the question if Mr.
LIE. could hold the milk under the
contracts he had. lie thought they
were signed with the understanding
that the farmers were to deliver he
milk to the creamery at the depot,
John Il. Peck offered Il reSri,t ion
that committee be appointed t. see
the Mutual people and find out if they
would take the milk at 1Oc IL can off
for the year. After a number of dec
linations John Il. Peck. l.. :. Lowell
and Frank Mitchell were named as
this committee
Robert Baird Of Bridgeport, milk
dealer, who was present, stated he be-
lieved the farmers could get their
price if they would hold together.
In discussing the different parties
who were bidding for milk, one gent lc-
man quoted a characterize ic rem lrk OF
Hiram Merrill, "IInW in the name OF
God are you going to ride two horses
when they are going in Opposite dire :,
lions" During the evening the fol-
lowing letter was read from the
Mutual Milk & Cream Co.:
New York, January 80. 1901.
E. :. Lowell. Esq: We will probably
not have a representative at the farm
crS' meeting as we are very busy. But
all we ask from the milk producers il
your territory is one favor, and that
is, not to make any contract for theil
/
milk. We will take possession of the
creamery at NrWtoWn about the lOtl
of February. II McS>rs Lee x Sea-
brooke will open creamery close t.
US farmers will have the advantage o
changing from one pIac" to another
and the best party will get the milk
And if Messrs Lee & Scabrnoke viii
pay more than we do and if they gel
the milk we shall be perfectly salts
fed. Yours very truly Mutua
Milk & Cream Co., Samuel Hopper
secretary