New-York tribune., 1909-12-10
SEEK MILK TRUST
INQUIRY rs BEGUN.
attorney General BelieUes
Prices Are Controlled.

Tn. inquiry 70 ascertain n a trust con-
trcls the price OF milk was begun before
william Grant Brown. who was appointed
referee by Justice seahury % the Supreme
court, IN the library OF the ofioe Of the
Attorney General. No 2ss Broadway. yes
sercay John y Coleman. as special At
torney General. conducted the examination
81 witnesses
Attorney General O'salley sets forth in
his petition. asking for the appointment Of
= Felsres. that IL is his belief that the
price OF milk is controlled by trust COM
posed OF the various corporations and deal
ers in milk, and that the name CT the cor
porstion coLuolling the supply of milk and
fixing the price 70 be psid by consumers is
the Consolidated MIX Exchange. New
Jersey corporation. with permission 70 do
business IN New York State. The names
~ the companies composing the consoli-
dated MIX Exchange are the Bcrden's
Condensed MIX Company, the shefheld
Farms-Slavson-D Decker Company and the
Mutual MIX and Cream Company.
Ths petition recites that in 1891 the MIX
Exchange. Limited was deprived Of It's
charter and the company dissolved after
hearing by the Attorney General, but
SIX months later practically the same mem
he-s Termed fhs Consolidafed MIX EN-
change. with New Jersey charter. and
since that time have done business under
rh- ssrs nsthees.
The Attorney General declares that the
oonpanies in the Consolidated MIX EN-
charge have q monopoly of the milk
supply ot the city OF New York and have
hso u tor more than a year
Alfred Ely represented the Consolidated
Mix Exehsage, and protested vigorously
sgsinst the line % questioning adopted by
Mr.. Coleman. while Charles IL. c. Beakes.
president Of the Beakes Dairy Company.
was az the stand. The witness said that
rhs only other company he was interested
in ~-es the Orange County Milk Associa-
rien. unless the Consolidated Exchange
esn be aid 10 be IN the milk business" He
-krlsiPed his by saying that the exchange
- not sen milk u was brought out
r'st the exchange occupied the quarters
fcrmsrly used by the MILK Exchange. Linn
stes.
The agreement between the Consolidated
Milk Exchange and an advertising agent
Esid 10 nave been acting for The Tribune
was shown 70 the witness. This agree
rnent outlined . campaign OF education for
the purpose of raising the price of milk.
and the witness said he classified the deal
era AZ 10 what they should pay for the
csupsign. Mr. Beakes was then excused
20 make way for Thomas A. German, who
ssi6 that ne called on the secretary of the
sxchsnse last spring 20 arrange for the
campaign.
The witness said that after several con-
ssEenees with directors Of the exchange Il
vas decided that 500 was a fair price 10
rsy Ter series q articles that would edu-
cato the pubic 20 The increase IN the price
of milk. German testified that he called
Or the dealers after they had been classified
ard their proportionate shares OF the ex-
penss allotted. He SAID that all tie dealers
looked vita favor on the scheme. and some
suggested that ell the newspapers be
taken a..
Is the movement stin On" asked Mr
Coleman.
'Sot 50 tar as am concerned" replied
German.
Why go you give Il up"
! had shown the newspaper that il was
&C. and that they could follow the mat
ter up. was simply q solicitor for business
Tor The newspaper on a commission basis.
TIE newspaper told me there was nothing
doing ia The commission line until the
$500 real cash wss paid in. ] dropped II
because my commission was not paid
The Tribune MADE the following state
rsent In reply 10 The World" when the
latter told or The alleged agreement. ana 81
eth holds true:
No PACT WITH MILK TRUST"
The New York vorld'' printed an arti-
cle yesterday under the heading, "Docu-
ments Prove Pact 10 Raise Price OF
Mix which sought 20 imphcats The Tri-
rune In an arrangement with the milk
fraoe 70 advance the price of milk 70 con
tumefs n Shis CITY.
The facts, 50 Tar as The Tribune has
any cognlZance OF the matter, are that
last spring man came 20 this Office with
fhe statement that the milk trad believed
mat srOundlessS fears prevailed among
consumers as 70 the general quality OF
necessary food. and wanted 70 secure space
N some responsible metropolitan paper in
order 70 INFORM ths public as 20 the efi-
clencY. or eEpedienCy. % The tubercultn
test kWhlc5. y was asserted. was Ussiessly
cesrroylng the da.rles OF the state and
~ commercial pssteurizstion. and as 70
TIE saleEusrcs provided by the Board OF
Eeallh ana the character and standing of
We purVevcrs Of the milk supply.
his man evidently failed to ger the SUI
rcrt which he expected. for sirce then We
rave not seen or heard OF HIM No such
rentaINe form OF agreement ss appeared
y The World" yesterday was ever shown
. any responsible person IN The Tribune
once, and ncthinF has beer published IN
nnlf paper on the subyecL