The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-16
NOT ENOUGH
MILK; PRICE
MAY GO Up
Condition Causes Anxiety.
Price Is Expected to Go
Up-- dealers Talk.

faces a probable increase in the price
of milk, and if existing conditions are
not remedied it will be difficult to
obtain a sufficient quantity of milk for
domestic use at any price.
A further reduction in the already
curtaiIed supply was made by the ship
pers to a number of local wholesalers
yesterday, and they in turn fcund it
necessary to cut dow the orders of
their wholesale customers, with the re-
suit that many homes went without
milk. Instead of being a milk shortage
for a few weeks. such as the
city has had in the past, this proves to
be a serious problem and one that
may grow worse because of the
tendency of farmers to abandon raising
milk and to go into some more luera-
tive business and one entailing less
labor. From New York comes the an
nouncement that the wholesale price
will be increased rs per cent.
Besides the evident intention of farm
ers throughout North Jersey. New
York State and Pennsylvania to stop
raising milk, there exist a number of
temporary reasons why the supply is
curtailed-the dry weather, poor hay
crops, advanced price of feed and the
scarcity of farm labor. With an adj
vance in wages of 30 per cent. over ten
years ago the farmars find It impossible
to procure sufficient help to properly
cultivate their farms, and this, coupled,
1t Is said, with the stringent rules of
the Board of Health, especially in New
York State, has caused the ruralists to
take to sheep or horse raising or grain
growing, needing very little human
help and making good returns.
One dealer in this city, who candles
$4,000 gallons of milk per day, has been
able to get but 10000 gallons for the
last three days, with the result that
the small dealers suffered, n of the
dealers having failed to deliver milk
to his agents at small stores through
out the city.
Frederick Seller, OF Seller Brothers,
when seen by an EVENING STAR re-
porter today, said: ut is true that
there is a shortage of milk, due large
ly to the dry weather, advanced price
of feed and the reluctance of the farm
ers to stay in the Embarrassing bust
ness when it is necessary to keep high
priced hands to milk, and then to have
u COlllOIIn W v hiO"Oh NhS
of health, no matter how unreasonable
they are. The latter cause, in my
opinion, will result in a milk famine
that will taxi years to overcome, and
/ think that now, especially in New
York State, that the stringent n arr
bitrary rules of the health body Is
responsible for the falling off in the
supply. Not that / do not approve of
the strict inspection of milk; but the
farmer reasons that If he sends his
milk to the city In a clean a from
a clean dairy. and that it is sweet
when it reaches the dealer, without
using p~reservatives, that he has done
his duty. When a board of health
starts to. tell the milk raiser about the
bacteria in the milk and of preliminary
tests and advanced methods known
only to professors, the farmer ecomes
discouraged and decides to go into an
other business where he will not nave
to be a doctor to enable him to make
a living. 1t is like making a man fight
a ghost-it frightens him because he
does not know what it Is. The farmer
cannot fight with the learned terms of
the board of health inspectors any
more than they can fight a spirit. but
they can fight dirt and contamination
when it is visible.
"When the people begin to suffer
from a shortage of milk that promises
to continue they will no doubt begin
to awake to the act that some health
officers are too officious.
"At the present time the farmers three
hundred miles from here are receiving
3h cents per quart for milk. and in the
near future will have to get more. This
brings milk to us in this city at an
actual cost of So cents, that is without
u margin, and when the further in
crease to the farmers becomes neces-
sary, bottled milk will cost 10 or IL
cents a quart. and loose milk will sell
readily for 8 and 3, with the supply
greater than the demand. l see that a
number of small dealers claim that the
Newark wholesalers have cut down
their orders, and in this they are par
TALLY right. For some time past my
firm saw the impending panic APP
preaching"
At the Borden Condensed Milk Com
pany's plant 1t was admitted that there
was a shortage of milk and that while
the customers had not begun to suffer
from the shortage, they did not know
what would occur in the next few days.
They knew nothing about the increase
in price, it was said.
According to a bulletin issued by the
Department of Commerce and Labor, in
1904 fresh unskimmed milk sold for six
cents per quart in Newark. In 1905 the
price was put up to eight cents, and 1t
is said that within a few months the
price will be ten cents per quart for UNI
skinned milk, while a raise from
twelve to fifteen cents for certified or
~pasteurized milk will become effective.
Nearly every user of milk has been
asked to cut down his supply. Families
taking two quarts were requested to get
along with three pints, n those using
three pints with a quart, n so on.
Cream has been almost u~nobtainable
since the shortage began, and it is said
that the first intimation of the increased
price was heard when the shortage be-
gan to be felt.
Certified milk. which is diff
cult to obtain on account OF
the strict requirements of the Board
of Health, is sold at six and seven cents
per quart by the farmer. For this the
customer now pay twelve cents. and
should the proposed schedule become
effective the price charged will be fiji.
teen cents.
Some idea of the immense amount Of
milk delivered in the city and suburbs
:. - oh4oinad FROM tho foaf that aUaI