The Newtown bee., 1909-06-11
TOWN TOPICS.
 THE MILK QUESTION. P. II. Mo Carthy Gives His Views. c


 on th' milk question are very hope
 full sign. When once the farmers
 begin to look squarely at their con- dition and realize the depressed state of affairs, especially in the milk
 business, there is some chance that action will be taken. As I am en- gagged in the production of milk I am
 willing to give my opinion as to where that loose screw" that MT Lowell suggested is. In the first place l vii! have to take exception in a friendly way to some of the statements made by MT Smith. He says that the Borden's act as a shield to us from the 'big stick" of the New York Board of Health. l cannot see lit in this way. The Board of Health sends man every year to in spect our dairies and he acts inde- |pendently of the Borden's. They merely furnish him with a list of the dairies supplying milk to their |creameries. If I were to carry out fully the suggestions sent me last |winter by the Board of Health in which a reasonable time would be given to comply" I would be produc- ling practically certified milk, which |retails for 12 and 15 cents per quart, Eand would be receiving for it a price Fthat is being paid by city people for spring water. He further says that we might lessen the cost of produc- tion by feeding a cheaper quality of |hay. My experience has been that the farmer who tries to fool the COW gets the worst end of the bar gain. Early cut hay of prime quality is very necessary for economical milk production. Any variation in the |qu 'lity of hay or stalks will be noted Eimmediately in the pail. This ques- Ftion of lessening the cost of produc- Etion has been worn pretty thin. It is about time that we looked for la price for our milk that will pay Flor producing it under present con- ditions. AS MT Mitchell stated, everything in the fine of operating expenses has advanced, yet we who are furnishing Bordens are obliged to accept price five cents hundred less than last year. If the price to the consumer was reduced accofdir g. ly we might accept the situation gracefully, but not so; it remains the same. Before leaving this cost of production 1 want to call atten- tiOn to the present month. The cheapest food on which milk can be produced is good pasture. We are getting this month two and a quar- ter cents per quart. Now let the dairyman figure his pasture at so much per COW, the time spent milk ing, hauling, his hired help, ice, etc., and charge it up against his check and see how far ahead of the game he will be. Some people tell us that we ought to raise potatoes and sell them to get money with which to buy feed for our cows. This policy always reminds me of the Irishman who, finding the sheet too short to cover his pedal eXtremeties, said he would remedy that by cutting a piece from the top and sewing it on the bottom, If we raise potatoes the profit from them should be credited to potatoes, and if we produce milk we should get enough for it to pay for all feed and labor that enter into it's production, and the only way we can get this is by proper organiza- tion. say it is not square deal for any milk company to fix a schedule of prices where no dairy mar is represented and the para mount question being to maintain dividends and provide big salaries to an army of non-producers, the poor submissive farmer getting what is left. How long would these milk companies exist if the farmers de- cided by cooperation to market their own produce?