The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-10-02
MILK SUPPLY AND PRICES
Authorities Held to Be Responsible for SHORTAGE in
Washington Dairymen to Demand Fair
Play to the Public of Washington

s anticipate a small majority at the next
There are other ways that the Agri-
cultural Department might be checked in
| It's mad career. A few wears aro The
- - '4ClIluFaI department was only. spend
~, .Ls a-l-iuatIy $4,000 appropriation; now
tae annual appropriation Is nearly $1,000
| ~. ana il has employed many thousands
VI people Inc taxpayer has begun TO
SoHlpldln ABOUT the way mis- money IS
oelng spent and il might be possible 10
SplJ That SE,B1G0 in half and send
some OF those dapper chaps back 10 kick
| HB cloQs' where they properly belong tt
/ might be Well 10 mention in this CON
| necuOn. that many Of the milk laws on
| the statute books Of to-day are there nv
! sunerance only, and when reviewed bv
4 the court Of last resort viii nor stand
/ the test. Without any desire to display
/ the least braggadOCiO. II might be inter
! esting for the authorities 10 know that
there IS city not thousand miles from
/ mere where the aldermen and the health
board had 70 get down on their Bonded
cTeeperS and TeSCiud every OhDovfO1ls fSa-
/ ture OF the milk law before any milk was
/ delivered In that city.
/ That the desire and effort on the part
! OF the commissioners to correct the flaws
that exist in the city milk s17uplv is a
/ laudable one, no fair-minded person VIII
deny but the methods they have adouted
/ have worked a hardship on many dealers
ana producers, without any real benefit
10 the public, IN fact, il has caused a Sc
riouS shortage in the supply, and when
/ the supply is not equal 10 the demand
competition ceases and the public is
forced 10 accept whatever is offered, and
/ at price many times its real value In
| less something happens TO relieve the
stringent milk market. in the near fu-
| ture, the price of milk Will surely be-
| higher than II has for many years; and
| doubtless the milk consumer VIII ask the
there been a drought this YEAR, The
producer will have 70 say, mo" In
/ fact he Will have 10 admit that We have
| had golden harvest" this year. He
can say. however. that many Of the con-
CentFateS, or grains have advanced about
1 100 per cent IN the past FIVE years. and
/ he can also say. with equal truthfulness.
/ that labor has advanced 40 per cent IN
/ the same period. He can tell you too.
| that, in conjunction with the dealer. he
/ mas borne this advance for several years
| with the hope Of a change for the better.
4 lie can say that the price OF grain feeds
| is no higher than last winter. except
wheat bran. and that he has made milk
/ and furnished IL 70 the dealer at a price
/ that enabled him 70 sell il for cents a
quart.
With these facts before him. the con,
sumner viii naturally ask why he is COM
PEELED TO pay 10 cents per quart for his
milk this winter The only truthful an
/ 20 the absurd and vexatiOus regulations
OF the health Office. and the OfficiOus med
/ ding of the Agricultural Department
without a semblanOe Of law TO Justify t.
many Of his neighbors have abandoned
the dairy business and none will take
/ their places, and that he Will not repIen-
| ish his herd until there IS some law
passed TO protect him in his properly.
rights. Consequently, we are going intO
the winter with approximately "a one
fourth or one-:hird shortage in our milk
supply.
| After thirty-twO years IN the dairy
| business In Washington. fail to see any.
good reason why the public cannot have
good, wholesome, pure. fresh. 3l5 or 4 per
cent milk for cents q quart. I am sure
that when the milk cOdd is properly
amended by some one competent to do IL
and made liberal enough to induce capt.
| tai to invest in H. thereby creating a
| lively competition, we viii have plenty
| Of good milk at a reasonable price. The
public is always served best when there
| IS sharp competition.
! c. THOMPSON.
| Washington, Oct. /