The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-11
While Monopoly Pays Less
for Commodity, Con-
sumer Does Not.
QUART STILL 7 CENTS
Dealers Explain Profits Made at This
Season Balanced by Winters
Losses.

At the tender mercy of the Milk
Trust, the residents of Hammond will
be compelled this year to pay seven
cents a quart and four cents a pint
for the output of the COW, delivered
to them. although the farmer who sup
plies the milk to the trust will have to
stand for a reduction eff from twenty
to thirty cents a can through the sum-
mer months.
To make the matter more binding
the grocer, the provision man and the
small dealer can no longer buy milk
from the trust at any price. to ac
commodate his trade. according to the
latest mandate of the octopus which
went into effect May 1.
Almost the whole output of the
farmers around and about Lake county
is controlled by the trust, and only a
few farmers are doing an independ
ent business Three months ago the
farmer was receiving from s1.10 to
$120 for an eight gallon can of milk
and this last month he received but
S1.00 for the some amount May
brought about another reduction, so
that now he receives but 80 cents.
Consumer Profits Nothing.
From the standpoint 1T would seem
that what was the farmers loss would
be the consumers gain. but not so,
SAYS the trust. The price of milk will
remain the same 1t has throughout the
season.
The profit gained from the farmer
will go right into the pocket of the
mix trust.
From what can be learned. the few
farmers who kept out of the clutches
Of the trust Will try 10 sell their OUT
put to whatever stores will buy, and
to their private trade for six cents
quart In other cities, but a short
distance from Hammond, milk is sold
at five cents quart, and at a profit
to the farmer If that can be done in
other cities. where the hold OF the
trust is not so strong. why can't it be
done in Hammond? Is what the con-
sumer is asking himself. 1t seems
that the profit of the middle man, in
cludes both sides and the middle.
Price List Posted.
The firm of Klitzke Bros. one of the
largest milk contractors in Hammond.
and members of the Chicago Milk
Union, has the summer prices of the
trust nailed up on a card over the
office. Milk is quoted at seven cents
a quart and four cents a pint. If a
customer buys a pint of milk in the
morning and pint of milk in the even
ing during the summer season, so as
to keep his supply fresh, he must pay
eight cents for the quart each day To
the hotel. restaurant and bakery, the
milk is sold at the wholesale price Of
six cents quart.
Mr. Emil Klitzke stated yesterday
to a TIMES reporter that it was true
that the price of milk was TO be kept
at seven cents. But he said 1t was also
true that they were paying 80 cents
IA can to the farmer. But" said Mr.
Klintzke, we have to pay as high as
S125 cents can to the farmer some
times through the winter and we can't
raise the price to the consumer"
Expenses High.
Besides, the expenses are high we
are paying SIS week TO our men and
there Is the cost of bottles and steril-
izlng and for our teams We cannot
get thirty-two quarts of milk out OF
a can either, as the best we can get
is twenty-nine quarts although we pay
for thirty%two. The prices we paw to
a farmer. average the year round about
S1.07 can or about three and a third
cents quart The profit this month
only evens up with month through
the winter time"
Therefore Hammond must pay the
full amount throughout the summer, al
though the farmer gets less money for
his can this summer. The small store
keeper also loses his revenue from the
few cans of milk he sells to his Gus
toners each day, for the trusts ulti-
nation must be obeyed.