The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-12-03
WHY PRICES ARE HIGHER
Advance In Dairy Products VS. Advance
In Cost Of Production.

IN OOSt OF TTOuuCtlOn.
Editor New England Farmer
We have been reading much Of late
In the columns Of The Farmer and In
fact all papers. about the milk situa-
ton. We have listened to the reasons
advanced by the farmer upon which he
bases his demand for higher prices for
the products of the dairy and we have
also read the articles which have APP
peared In the leading newspapers--ed.
itorial and Notwithstanding the
farmers OF trying to form a trust or
combination TO unreasonably advance
the price of their dairy products, un-
Ill we began to wonder what was fair
and reasonable price for milk, cream
and butter, anyway, and whether the
advance asked was really too much.
taking into account the increased cost
of everything entering into the prod
uction OF milk and butter as compared
with the cost In recent years. But
as every one else advanced the price
we kept in line and advanced the price
on milk lie. per quart, cream sc. and
butter sc per pound for the winter to
our regular yearly customers; feeling
as no doubt many another farmer did,
that 1t was pretty stiff price to ask
anyone to pay.
Most of our customers took the adj
vance philosophically and hoped that
we would reduce the price as soon as
possible. But one very nice lady in a
nearby city who Is one of our Oldest
and best butter customers and lady
with education and good business abil-
ity, took exception to the advance in
the following well chosen words: II
was perfectly willing to pay zoe per
pound for butter, but do think lump
of sc pound is a little heavy. / know
that grain and feed and provisions
have all gone up In price and now |
know that butter has joined the pro-
cession; but | can't help feeling that
&c pound Is long step in advance
i 2-3 per cent. However, | shall pay
1t, of course, and trust that when YOU
can you will reduce the price,
This set me to thinking. This lady
had really gone at the problem in a
businesslike way. She had applied
the principle OF percentage to her side
of the question and why should not
do the same and in this way solve the
problem of whether the advance was
too much or not? So / hunted over
my files of agricultural papers of three
years ago and compared the market re
ports with those of the present time
and after summing up the situation
wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam: Yours of Oct. 20
at hand and note what you say about
the advance in the price of butter.
| agree with you fully that 35c per
pound is pretty stiff price to pay for
butter but let US make few compar-
isons from the farmers standpoint.
Let us look at the changed conditions
today from only two or three years
ago. find that in the fall of 1901
corn cost s1.35 per bag as against si.5,
at the present time, an advance OF II
per cent Oats were quoted at CSC per
bushel now 66c. an advance of 10 per
cent. Bran was $22. now $50 per ton.
an advance of 80 1.3 per cent. Mid.
dlngs were $23, now $32. an advance
of 80 per cent. Gluten feed was $26
now $3.50, an advance of 81 per cent.
Cottonseed meal was SOS, now 3D. an
advance of II per cent. Flax meal the
same, etc. This shows an average ad.
vance on grains to the farmer of about
30 per cent, and the market price on
hay was SIS per ton, now 500. an ad.
vance of 46 per cent. The same help
that the farmer was hiring for S1.25
per day now costs Sl75. an advance
of over 40 per cent. and the hell that
work by the month including board
(Which has advanced with the cost OF
nearly all proyisionsl used TO be hired
for $50 per month, now costs S25 TO SIS
in fact, most any price they nave
mind to ask ii they are good help and
reliable as it is next to impossible TO
get good help ,the farm even at this
advance OF 20 to 40 per cent.
When we look at the conditions as
they exist today is 1t any wonder that
farmers here in New England are de-
manding better prices for the products
of the farm and dairy and that many
are selling their cows and going OUT
of the dairy business? You will par.
don me, ] hope, for writing so fully
to you on this subject but the infer
ence drew from your letter was that
while you like our butter, you think we
are putting it on little thick, so tc
speak. in asking 35c; and the sugges-
ton that Ii was an advance If 49, 20
per cent set me to thinking and have
made the foregoing comparisons. as
sure you | have been very conserva-
tive in my statements, as can be easily
proven by an impartial investigation
into the conditions as they exist.
Trusting this letter makes plain to you
he necessity for the advance in price.
remain, yours very truly"
An advance of As per cent on hay. so |
)er cent on grain and about 40 per
ent in labor or an average advance of |
early 40 per cent in the cost of |
larry products, and when the farmer
SKIS for an advance much below the
cost of production. the cry