Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-25
Demand Big Advance for Milk.


A special meeting of the Maine farm
ers' protective association was held al
Mechanic Falls, Me-, August s, to take
action in regard to prices for milk tC
Portland dealers for the next year. The
call for the meeting which was sent tc
each member of the association included
following points:
l. To see what length of time the as
sociation will vote to make contracts
for on milk 2. To see il the associa-
ton will vote to recommend two or
more prices on milk for the ensuing
year. 3. To see what price or prices
the association will vote TO recommend
for the ensuing year. 4. To see wha,
action the association will take in re-
gard to written contracts. 3. To see
what action the association will take to
confer with the milk dealers of Portland.
6. To do any other business that may
legally come before said meeting.
Under article one, it was tue unan
imous opinion that all contracts should
be made for period of one year.
Article two brought out considerable
Several of the producers
had consulted their dealers and il seem
ed TO be the general opinion that they
would be better satisfied with two prices.
1t costs less to produce milk through
the summer, and it should be sold for
less than through the winter when the
cattle had TO be fed in the barn. 1t was
voted to make one price for eight
months from September /, and one price
for the remaining four months.
PRICE GOES UP.
Article three was the most important
Of all, and it caused the greatest amount
Of discussion. Every producer present
favored an increase in price; IS cents
for 10-quart can of milk delivered In
Portland is not enough.
One producer has sold several of his
cows and was going to sell more. There
was no money for him in the milk bust
ness at the present prices fol-. dairy feeds
and hay. Nearly every member present
reported a short hay crop in his vicinity.
Ii costs more to produce milk for the
market to day than ever be-
lore. Grain is way up, and there is no
prospect of its being lower, and there is
not more than two-thirds of hay crop
1t the most One producer made more
ten years ago selling milk at rs cents
per can than he does to-day selling at 40
cents.
IL was finally voted to make the price
i5 cents per can for eight months from
and 81 cents for four
months for l0-quart can delivered in
Portland.
While these prices may seem high it
must be remembered that the cans used
are mostly 10-quart cans, and that all
milk shipped to the Portland market
must be from tubereulin tested COWS.
OF course, the actual cost of testing the
cows is but little and would make but a
slight addition to the cost Of producing
a can of milk, but the risk of losing
cows from the herd is great.
IL is well-knowu fact that a cow will
oftentimes continue To give normal
flow of milk for years after contracting
and producer who does
not have his cows tested has the income
from them, whereas, if they had been
tested he would lose them. Within the
last week one laNg Nge producer in Oxford
County lost II cows from herd of 81.
the condemned cows were
among the best in the herd.
Under article four of the call il was
voted to have written contract between
the Portland dealers association, il such
an organization existed, and the Maine
farmers protective association.
Under article five committee of
three was elected to confer with the
Portland dealers in regard to contract
and price of milk for the ensuing year.
The committee elected is as follows:
President, Frank NJ. Hawkes. of New
Gloucester; chairman, Charles G. Rowe
and j. w. Hunting of Oxford.
Under article six, the matter OF bet
ter price for sweet corn was brought up.
Most of the milk producers were also
producers of sweet corn for the canning
factories. The packers paid 2 cents per
pound for the cut corn, which netted the
producers on an average about $50 per
acre besides the fodder. This was not
enough and several of the producers had
gone out of the business and were plant
ing silage corn and feeding less grain.
1t seemed to be the opinion that the
price should be at least 3 cents per
pound for the cut corn. No action was
taken in regard to the sweet corn, how
ever, as it was thought best to get more
os the corn producers into the associa-
tion before taking any action.-New
England Homestead.