The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-25
MILK COMBINE
LATEST MERGER
EIgin, Keystone and Jordan Com
panies Consolidate.
A. J. VosE is At THE HEAD
ECONOMY THE PURPOSE. NOT TO
INCREASE PRICES.

THE first steps have been taken look
ing to the consolidation or merger
Of the three largest dairy concerns
in Salt Lake county They are the FL
gin Creamery company. Jordan Farm
Dairy company and the Keystone com
pany. If the new merger proves to be
a success upon trial. it VIII be q per-
manent institution under the personat
management Of A. J. Vose of the Jor-
dan Farm company. 1t viii require
sixty days in which TO determines
/ whether Salt Lake milk and cream
/ consumers shall be at the mercy Of a
milk trust If the proposed plan Of
/ Mr.. VOSe works out the three cOInpa-
4 MES will be consolidated into one
For the past six months or a year
! the three above named concerns have
not been making money, it is claimed.
] Their ablishmentS have really been
| losing ventures. With milk at IA cents
! a gallon, wholesale, from the farmers
and the retail price Is cents by the gal
lon, with only a. little increase in small
I er quantities. it has been impossible for
| the concerns to more than make both
/ ends meet. More than one month has
/ passed without their income meeting
] their legitimate expenses, according 10
the statement OF Mr. NOse-
/ Mr.. Vose has been engaged in the
! milk business in Salt Lake City for q
| number of years. Since he sold his in
terest in the Elgin company and en-
barked in the milk business for him
self. he said yesterday, ne had not
made a cent. His thorough acQuaint-
ance with the milk and cream business
Of the city assured him that the other
two companies were not making any
money, and he approached them with
the proposition of merger
Strictly Business Proposition.
He went on the same business prop
| osition that did J. P. Morgan when ne
organized the billiOn-dOllar steel trust
by consolidation expense could be de-
/ creased. he asked the members Of the
other two companies sixty DAYS in
/ which 10 demonstrate 10 them -that he
! could operate the three companies Tor
: less money than the three could be run
, separately- IF at the end Of that time
the owners of the other concerns were
! not satisfied with his demonstration or
: business methods, the companies were
to withdraw from the temporary con
n solicitation of interests and each pursue
= the even tenor of its way.
That is the condition which cOufrOntS
? the milk and cream consumers Of salt
: Lake City today II the old adage that
q ssin union there is strength holds good,
y l the merger viii be q permanent one
r If. however. the exception proves the
\ ! rule" and this venture proves that eX-
4 ception, then a milk trust viii not De
a stern reality in this city for the Tina
{ being, at least.
t Prices Remain Stationary.
s 1.-THE temporary consolidation of the
o three milk companies does not neces-
sarily imply that the price Of that
y household commodity will be in
v creased" said Mr.. VOse last evening.
I'VE are not attempting to consolidate
: for the purpose Of, raising prices, bat
Il TO protect ourselves. We have been Dc
4 ing business for the past year without
h making a cent. 1 have CJlIle SGr--the
conclusion that by a pooling Of issues
e we can make a little money.
- About a month ago / went TO the
: owners of the other two milk concerns
y and laid my plan before them 1t was
simply a consolidation Of our establish
( mentS, which necessarily implies the
| cutting down Of our working forces. To
L / show you how it works, I have but q
N cite you one instance I have found
N where I could already cut of Two route
r wa CONS. thereby saving the Temporary
merger 800 per month in that direction
alone. Other curtailments can be made
N I am sure, whereby we can make the
n | proposition pay. If at the end OF sixtl
is days my plan has not worked out. W.
N will separate. and each viii conduct hi
n business as before
"a 1T is. not our purpose to increase tn
a price of milk nor serve our joint Gus
toners with an Inferior quality. W
IN propose to maintain the standard o
* prices, and if possible, supply home
f with a better quality of milk by onl.
or purchasing the best to be had from tn
10 farmers. We appreciate the fact tina
d. as soon as it becomes known that Their
ri is a milk trust-as every one win cal
* it-that there viii be a great cry. bu
nd if the people VIII but rest content 70
Sc a few weeks and let US demonstrate z
er them that we are working rs much il
Nv their interest as we are in our owl
re they viii have no grounds for com
er plant