Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-20
AN ADVERSE OPINION
Continued Discussion of the
Milk Question.
NEW POINTS RAISED
DAIRY PROPRIETOR TAKES ISSUE
WITH THE DEALERS.
Says Meeting Yesterday Was Ill Ad-
vised and Price Suggested Can
not Be Maintained.


short time, but 1t will soon come down."
This statement was made today by Mr..
Corbin Thompson, proprietor of the Sharon
dairy. who is one of the largest milk hand
lers in the District, and whose principal
supply Is received direct from the dairy
farms of Maryland and Virginia.
1--WE feel it is unfortunate" continued
Mr.. Thompson, "that the producers and
shippers called the meeting yesterday
There was already in existence here an
association formed for a similar purpose
It's membership is made up of dealers and
producers alike, and we believe the price
of milk could have been adjusted by that
organization, that 1t would have been
equitable and just to both the producer and
the consumer.
THE price the producers have named
is most unreasonable and cannot be main
tanned here for any reasonable lengtn OF
time We feel that the meeting OF yes
terday did not represent the bona noe farm
ers and dairymen, as three of the four
promoters who issued the call for the meet
ing, are only farmers in sense, as they
are engaged in other callfngs and nave ap-
parently adopted farming as a fad or side
issue While they are conscientious and
honorable gentlemen, they have shown
themselves to be indiscreet and erratic in
creating a feeling of unrest among the pro-
ducers without just cause.
while it is true that the price of wheat
bran and mill feeds is unreasonably high
it is possible to form a ration for cows
from other feed stuffs at lower price that
will accomplish the same purpose.
Former Effort Results in Loss.
1--WE also feel it would be well to remem-
Der that about fourteen years ago similar
organization was formed by the dairymen
of Maryland and Virginia, which resulted
in loss to them of between $4,000 and
100000. They also have for an object les
| son the experience of the dairymen of the
city of Baltimore, which should be fresh in
their memories. This movement resulted in
a loss to the producers of about 100000 In
that city. and closed the doors of one bank
which had been in existence for one hun
bred years.
Had those who constituted the meeting
of yesterday taken the trouble to consult
the Milk Reporter, the official journal of
the trade, they would have learned that
the great Gail Borden Milk Company of
New York had made their contracts for the
six winter months at 16 cents and frac-
ton per gallon. The Gail Borden people
pay upon an average / cent a gallon
more than any other concern doing business
in New York city, and that the require
ments in their contracts are so exacting
and rigid that only the best farmers are
equipped to produce milk that will meet
their conditions.
Similar conditions exist at Pittsburg,
Buffalo and Chicago, and there has been
scaling of prices in the cities named of
from to cents lower in the hundred
weight than was paid last winter. In those
cities milk is bought by the hundredweight.
The prices have also been scaled in Phila-
delphia, while it appears that the Philadel-
phia prices are higher than those of Wash
ington, it Should be explained that there is
condition existing in the Quaker city
which does not exist in any other city to
my knowledge That is, the dealers pur-
chase milk by dry measure and sell by
liquid measure. In other words the dealer
pays for a 40-quart can of milk and re-
ceives can containing As quarts, or the
difference between dry and liquid mea-
sure"
Producers VS.. Dealers.
At the conclusion of the meeting of the
milk producers and shippers from the sur
rounding country who supply Washington
with the greater amount of it's tactical fluid,
which was held yesterday afternoon in
Spanish War Veterans Hall, as exclusively
reported by The Star a meeting of the
newly appointed executive committee was
held. The action of the general meeting
was gone over and arrangements made to
meet the local milk dealers at a meeting of
the latter to be held Saturday night.
The sentiment of the committee is said to
be in favor of a decided advance In the
price of milk shipped to this city. Just
how the dealers will receive the proposition
to increase the shippers price from u to 20
cents per gallon is not known. but it is be-
lieved some of the dealers will oppose such
radical increase as is proposed
Mr.. J. w. Gregg. a member of the recently
organized Maryland Virginia and the
District of Columbia Milk Producers Asso
cation," stated that there had been an agi-
tation nearly every winter concerning the
shipment of milk to this city and the price
paid for it by the dealers here He hoped
now that the producers had organized, the
matter would be finally settled and the in
terests of the shippers looked after by the
association and its agents.
A proposition for the producers organiza-
ton to affiliate with that of the dealers
met with little or no favor. 1t was stated
that such utilization was tried some time
ago and resulted unfavorably to the ship
pers, who had comparatively no voice in
the meetings of the body. Others favored
the organization of a CLOSE corporation by
the producers in order that they might re-
ceive fair treatment. One Maryland men,
Der said:
with the present high price of cattle
feed and the advanced cost of labor there
is not producer in the association or out
of 1t who can make milk and support his
family at a lower rate than 20 cents a gall
Ion for the product"