The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-05
KANSAS IS SLOW.
That Is in Dairy Business, Says
Mr.. Webster.
State Does Not Rank High In
Butter Production.
ONLY A SIDE LINE.
Farmers Do Not Make 1t q
Business.
He Is in Favor of the Small
Creameries.

OI08m0rl0Ss
E. H. Webster, chief Of the dairy
division Of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, and by virtue of
that Office the official head Of all the
dairy interests in the United States, is
in Topeka today, and in spite of the
fact that he is one of 'Tamey Jim"
Wilson's men, he called upon F. D.
Coburn, secretary of the Kansas board
of agriculture and seemed real friend
ly. He didn't say a word about the
semi-arid belt but he had few in
teresting comments to make on the
Kansas buttermaking situation.
Kansas farmers said Mr..
Webster, "are not natural dafrymen.
The production of cream is side line
with them. They can make money so
easily by raising wheat and corn and
oats and beef cattle that they are
loath to take up the drudgery Of milk
| ing cows and bringing the cream to
market. There is much drudgery in
dairyfng." +s~
"Then it is true, is it, was asked,
that Kansas butter is below the high
| est Standard"
| at regret to say that it isl said Mr..
Webster. Mr.. Webster honestly re-
grets it, too, for he is a Kansas man
| and would like to see his state at the
| top. Mr.. Webster was born and
reared in Butler county, graduated
| from the Kansas Agricultural college
| in 1895, has been connected with the
United States dairy work for three
years and is now head of a division
employing 20 people.
"Well, what's to be done? How
| can Kansas improve % was asked.
THAT is a very difficult question"
said Mr.. Webster. There is no state
with better opportunities for dairy1ng
| than Kansas. There is no reason why
butter in the world. The only trouble
| is with the people-the farmers. They
are farmers, not dairymen, and I
| don't know how they can be made
| dairymen. Good butter can not be
made without good cream. The Kan
sas farmer is not careful enough In
| handling his cream. He delays too
long in getting it to the creamery.
The facilities for taking care of the
cream on the farm are not what they
should be. Minnesota is the best
dairy state in the Union, perhaps
The dairymen there are mostly Danes
Swedes and Norwegians. They are
naturally fitted for the business
though there are many Germans es-
pecially in Wisconsin, who are excel
lent. The American farmer is no,
| usually good dairyman.
L
The discussion of how Kansas
should improve it's cream brought VI
the question of the creamery trust
versus the small local creamery, ano
the big fight which is pending before
interstate commerce commission ovel
the proposed increase in freight rates
on the ''long hauls'' of cream to the
big centralized creameries. Mr. web
ster was asked to express his opinion
concerning this controversy.
foI ho
ster, that the freight rates should bt
so adjusted that neither the big cream
cry nor the small creamery will bt
, forced out of business. If the Ions
cream is shipped to the centralized
creamery, and the local creamery car
| not be operated at a profit. then ths
rates should be raised. If the rates
are made so high that the big cream
erv can not do business, that is alst
j unjust. 10
Favors the Small Creamery.
There are certain advantages in thu
small, local creamery. The loca
creamery saves the cost OF shipping
the cream. 1t also saves the commits
sion which the big creamery pays u
cent and a half pound. me loca
creamery also builds up health!
dairy sentiment in community
Farmers are taught how to take bette
their cream in better condition pecaus'
lthey have a personal interest in tn
ma king of good butter at the cream
cry, whereas if they simply sell thu
: cream to be shipped, all they car
about is their pay. But where a SINAI
creamery is started, the farmers ant
dairymen must stand by it, and it mus
be expected that the concern may hav'
3 some rough shedding at times
II can't say whether I think tn
rates on the long hauls of cream
should be increased or not. That, II
nv Judgment, depends entirely upol
3 local conditions. What might be fai
3 and just for Wisconsin would De un
lust for Kansas. If there is not sum
= cient local interest to mainton a loca
: creamery, the dairymen certainl
ought to be given the best facilitie
for sending their cream to the big cit
/ creamery.
IT have heard it said that the objec
= of the increase in rates on long haul
Of cream is to put the big centralize'
: creamery out of business. l hardl
: think that is the real object of tn
: | railroads They probably figure tina
!. by building up small creameries the
| will develop a more prohtabie ilne o
! freight for themselves. Instead o
I hauling cream to the central creamer!
, thew will haul butter from the SINAI
:, creameries, and they will also get tn
. business of hauling vast quantities
;, crea merry supplies to the small cream
t cries. There will probably be NOR
i money in it for the railroads..
Mr.. Webster is out here In the ives
( LOCKING over the work his deputies ar
e doing. His division has extensiv
laboratories at Washington, and ais
at Albert Lea, Mimi, for sc1ent1f1c re
search of importance to the dairy IN