New-York tribune., 1907-08-27
MILK PRICE TO RISE.
DE4LERS NOW LOSE ON 1T.
Think They Viii Not Be Able to
Pcnp7c Contracts ct Present Rates.

with a shortage IN the milk supply Of lo'oOo
gallons daily and a prospect that the "iiole-
% ars Will he unable 10 renew existing contracts
n tbe present price, an increase IN the retain
r,rica fs generally regarded among the mllkrnen
as not ONLY possible but highly probable None
cf the dealers seen yesterday cared TO go on
record as predicting increase in price Out an
said they did not see how it would be possioAe
"a continue supplying milk at the existing rate
Of cents a quart
To add to the discomfort of the local "hoie-
salers word has been received by them that 'he
farmers of Orange County and its vicinity are
Manning an organization with the idea of boost
ing prices A similar movement was attempt
ed there once before, but 1t failed
%ov, II is pointed out, the farmers will be
ob1a +o use the continued drouth as welghty
argument in favor of better prices. Nearly every
large wholesaling firm in the city has men OUT
urstate now looking over the situation hepoilS
received from them indicate that relief is not in
sight for the immediate future at least
p c TIalsev. vice-president of the Slawson'
Decker Company, proprietors of the Sheleiu
1,,,e told Tribune reporter yesterday that
-o,,o dealers were now delivering milk 10 re-
tai1ers at A loss Of 21a cents a quart MI HalSey
.o,a eaveraI firms that had been disappointed IN
the contracted supply were paying o'Hei pi"
5,care : cents a quart and turning the ihliA
,or m retailers at Az cents. Mr.. Haisey coh-
erroed the figures regarding the present snort
age. . ~.
- ,s tyonossibIe to sell milk at cents the
o,+ retail nrice Mr. Halsey said. at proht'
and in his opinion it was only ques'ioH "
how long the wholesalers and retailers "OuIi
continue TO do business at present prices lie
aid not believe the men who were paying hioio
for tno milk received from the country than they
from .
care TO continue the present arrangement i''u'''
longer. ,o,- Cor
A,o+ber reason why the wholesalers look Tor
-. increase in prices is the general belief among
then, that it will he impossible TO rene" coii
tracts with the milk producers on the pi''e"'
basis Not only the drouth but the constantly
increasing restrictions placed upon them by the
denartment of health place a weighty arsu-
ment in the hands of the farmers
MANY farmers throughout the milk producing
district find it impossible to comply with the
health regulations to the condition OF their
dairfes without the expenditure of considerable
e,,,,-s or r,,onev Under these circumstances tney
nrefer to sell their milk the butter and cheese
factories where no embarrassing questions are
asked.
AIr. Halsey is of the opinion that the big milk
conopanfes in this city will take no steps TO In
crease the price until forced TO some action oy
the farmers The least that could be expected
in his Judgment. is an increase OF y cent
quart to retailers and an increase OF i cent 10
the consumers He thought the big companies
would not care to continue business at loss
for a very long time. and to meet past losses IL
was not improbable that the price might go 10
10 cents
To meet the constantly increasing demands
upon them several of the large wholesaling firms
have purchased whole dairies TO keep the HIlh
from going to creameries The fact too, that
the State Department of Agriculture is con-
stantlv causing the killing OF herds of diseased
COWS has a small but certain effect upon the
( situation.
Butter prices are also going upward, ana the
prediction is freely made that it Will be mat
( tar of ONLY a month two before the 30 cent
mark is reached in the upstate market. One
/ dairy expert in Syracuse who says he has made
a careful study Of the situation says so cents
will surely be the price some time during the
coming winter
The Ice cream men are not worried now. &C
cording TO Nj Cutler editor of THE Ice Cream
Trade Journal" but they looking ahead to
th. renewal of the milk contracts on october l
. with considerable interest. Their supply for the
/ present year has been contracted. and no fear is
tet now. but an increase in milk prices will
/ surely have an effect the prices of ice cream
in the near future.
It was said that ii would require several weeks
/ of rainy weather to bring the pastures through
ont the state to a condition where the COWS could
! be fed without the purchase of grain. But even
! If that should occur, it is said. ii Will probably
/ -. too late to change the situation materially in
/ regard to the October contracts. as pasturing
viii cease in this state in about two months.