Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-08-14
.DAIRYMEN FIGHT
FOR SQUARE DEAL
BADGER BUTTER PRODUCERS oP.
POSE LOW RATES ON cREAM.
WlSCONSINS REPUTATION
Must Be Maintained Against the Mo-
nopolist'c Aggression of the Chi
cago centralizing concerns-Have
Organized and Will Send Commit
tee Before Commerce Commission.

ITO the Honorable, the Interstate
Commerce Commission, Washington,
D. c.
Whereas, 1t has come to our no
/ tiee that the so-called centralizing
companies located in Chicago, viz:
the Be'tr.ae Creamery Co. and the
Blue valley Creamery Co. have pc
titioned your honorable body to main
| tain the low rates heretofore enjoyed
by them for the transportation of
cream, alleging in their complaint
| that the railroads have entered into
conspiracy in restraint of trade, and
Whereas we, the representatives OF.
the dairy industry of the state of Wis
| eonsin. the leading dairy state affect
| ed by the maintenance of such low
rates, with its 5000 creameries.
| cheese factories and skimming sta
tions, with 100000 invested in ma
chinery and buildings, with 100000
patrons milking $4,000 cows, con-
tributing 3,166,0000O0 pounds of milk
/ am 0eAAAt " III q lVNN44uC VI A4lO4E lletu
| S57000,000, believing as we do, that
these rates in question are now en-
tirely too low, and in our judgment
tend to concentrate the industry in
the hands of the few to the detriment
of the many. and
Whereas, The so-called distance
tariff is employed in computing
rates on cream locally api the rates
enjoyed by these Chicago companies
is in its very nature m'nopolistic and
/ destructive of the best interests OF
the producer, we, the representatives
OF the dairy industrf of Wisconsin
respectfully petition your honorable
body to disregard tbe petition of the
said Chicago com )anies and main
tain the distance .ariffs on cream"
It is not Often that Wisconsin
farmers and dGirymen ask for the
maintenance of higher freight rates yet
such is the present situation, and not
only do they ask that the rates be
maintained but they propose to send
committee to Washington to APP
pear before the interstate commerce
commission in that behalf The
above is the wording of a formal
petition that is being circulated
among the dairymen and creamery
men OF the state, receiving thousands
Of signatures to be presented by a
committee soon to visit the nationaI
capital for that purpose.
At meeting of dairymen and
Creamerymen at WATERFOWL recently
state organization known as the
Wisconsin Dairy Manufacturers ana
Milk Producers Protective Associa.
: ton was perfected with the following
officers:
Presldent-F. A. seeber of Water
loo.
Vice president-W. A. Roach, Of
Reedsburg.
Treasurer-H. W. Barge, of Reeds
burg.
Secretary. G. Moore, of Madison.
| The purposes of the association are
numerous but the particular present
object is to combat the efforts of the
Chicago eentralizers to monopolize
the creamery and butter business
through discriminating freight rates
on cream. The Chicago concerns have
peLitioned the interstate commerce
commission - maintain the low rate
for the transportation of cream, al
leging th4t the recent increase in
rate is due to a railroad conspiracy
in restraint of trade. The Wisconsin
dairylnen ask that the rate be kept
uniformly high to prevent a con-
centration of the industry i'm the
hands OF few at the cost of the
many.
Former Governor w, D. Hoard and
!, Dairy and Food Commissioner Emery
are nmong tae men of the "Wisc01-
sill Dairy Manufacturers and Milk
Producers association" which have
Iust been chosen to fight the mat.
ter out before the interstate commerce
commission. Petitions are now be-
Ing circulated among the farmers in
this vicinity, and in other sections
OF the state. to be presented to the
commission A fee of IS a creamery
/
! combat the alleged Chicago monopoly
Will Go to Washington.
The organization has named the
following persons to go to Washing
Z ton and represent the new assocla-
ton before the Interstate commerce
commissions: w. D. HoId, Fort At
; kinson: } Q Emery, dairy and food
& commissioner M 3ison; +. A. Seeber,
S Waterloo; + -. Dodge. president of
= the state buttermakers' association
Of Lake Mills and J. G. Moore of Mad.
= ison. A hearing has been asked for
and as soon as word has been re-
: ceived setting a time, the committee
e will proceed to tire national capitol
D to present their case.
S The Chcago Burlington and Quincy
railway in its answer to the com,
g plant OF the Chicago centrallzing
COMPANIES before the Interstate cor.-