Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-26
The Price of Milk.
o the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In reading the discussion by the milk deal
ers Of Washington on the subject of higher
milk prices, as published in the daily
papers. l have noticed that Mr.. Corbn
Thompson in opposing the demand of the
milk producers of the surrounding neighbour
hoods of Virginia and Maryland for an in
crease of l or . cents a gallon on their
products, whether ignorantly or facetiously.
suggested that in place of the costly feeds
of meal, bran, etc, they are now giving
their cows. they might substitute a less
costly ration" Now we cannot imagine
just what Mr.. Thompson's cheaper ration
is to consist of. We are left to guess Per-
haps his formula might be about as fol-
lows: For one ration, five quarts Of saw
dust, two quarts of bran, three quarts of
shredded turnips, two quarts of ground
cornstalks, with water added in quantum
sufficit, and a seasoning of salt. This
would be a cheaper ration. But would the
cows relish it? Not long, We think. Nor
would Mr.. Thompson's customers relish the
milk produced by 1t. No, Mr.. Thompson,
your cheaper ration would not work. The
experiments of all dairymen through the
years to find the best and most practical
feed to make their herds the most profitable
to them in milk and butter have not been
so uncertain and slip-shod as Mr.. Thomp-
son imagines.
The attempt to get something out OF
nothing dates as far back in history as the
beginnings of human trickery and schem-
ing. To produce a good, wholesome and
enjoyable product of milk only the richest
grain foods can be relied on. Any other
product. everybody knows, would not pass
the scrutiny and severe test of the Dis
trict Commissioners.
1t will be in order for Mr.. Thompson to
come forward and tell the troubled dairy
men just what the ingredients of his new
out such way of feeding will give the
same milk supply at a less cost, lie ought
not to withhold his great secret and keep
it under a bushel. His information might
completely revolutionize the dairy bust
ness and make him a benefactor to both
producers and consumers: and afterward.
he might tackle the human food ration and
adjust that. He has wide field before
him, surely.
Many of the milk producers who ask an
increase of price per gallon for milk have
been for long time furnishing the cities
with their commodity at far below remuner-
alive figures, not only on account of the
high rates of all feeding stuffs. but also
because the pay for labor in the rural dis
tricts has been more than doubled and the
working hours much shortened. The gov
eminent coming into competition with agri-
cultural interests has raised the wages of
all its employees to such unheard-of figures
that everywhere the whilom laborers on the
farms have quit farm work for the larger
pay of the public works and in the various
government departments: The hand OF
Uncle Sam has been lavish Of the public
moneys, and the farmer in many ways has
been the great sufferer from It, While
every other branch of the common indus
tries has been promoted. the agricultural
interests have been Disseminated against
and discouraged. And now, IL the dairy
men who are engaged In supplying the cities
with one of the most essential means OF
their subsistence in exact Justice to them
selves feel that they ought to be better
paid for their services. ought there to be
SO much opposition to their very moderate
demand of one or two cents a gallon in
crease of the old price?
w. H. SNOwDEN