Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-05-19
PRICE THREE CENTS

and other producers were compelled to do
business with the firm to which the field
was delivered by contract.
In regard to inspection he charged the
Boston Board OF Health with entering into
an agreement with the Boston contractors
whereby tbe contractors would be held
blameless II they would produce evidence
against the farmers " hose milk Was be-
low the standard or wss adulterated. The
State Board OF Health he scored for it's
"unjustifiable, unwarranted and perhaps
illegal attacks upon the property Of the
milk farmers, evidence of which he
offered the committee in the form OF pho
togrsphs of bad conditions on farms.
George Whiting, one of the leading
contractors OF Boston, was called before
the investigating committee and stated
/ that transportation represents only nine
per cent Of the total cost OF handling
milk, but II icing and labor are included
1t reaches IA per cent. He asserted that
hall OF his milk supply came from within
100 miles OF Boston and that he paid for
| transportation a can rate based on car
rate. In what is called the "nine-eent
zone" be explained nine cents Is the
commission and freight. II cost, he said,
four cents to ship milk from that zone.
and he could tell in detail what did be-
come OF the other five cents.
In regard to competition he said the
Boston Dairy company touches their line
at Claremont, and Hood a. Sons had in
vaded their New York territory. Asked
why be bought milk In New York, be
said New York has q richer soil than
Massachusetts and produces ii cheaper. He
stated that he bought from New York
milk dealer and paid 3A cents a quart.
Mr.. Whiting told the committee that
his company had $3.50, 900 invested in the
milk business and would like to get 10
per cent on II but as a matter OF fact only
realized per cent. He offered the farm
ers in the middle zone q little over three
cents q quart for their product and ac-
knowledged that II might be difficult for
them to make any profit at that price.
He would like to pay them more but the
trouble is that In the flush season too
much milk would come into the market
and decrease the price. Pressed to it, be
allowed the essential principle governing
the action of the contractors Is the wish
to restrict and control the supply going
into Boston, thereby preventing any
flooding Of the market and cutting down
OF price. He was sure no milk over as
hours old was sold In Boston.
John X. Whiting OF the &. Brigham
company was put through a searching cate
chism which ELECTED the information that
the remotest point OF bis milk zone was
$50 or 800 miles distant aud the milk
when II reaches the consumer is from AZ
to 72 hours old. He thought II handled
rightly at the source it was excellent food
for babies.
William A. Graustein OF the Boston
Dairy company gave his farthest shipping
point as Bristol, VT, 216 miles away and
gave the age OF the milk in Boston as 80
hours. Pressed for details Mr.. Graustein
admitted that some oi his milk was prob
ably 70 hours old when be delivered II,
and perhaps older, hut that was at the be-
ginning Of the strike. when the contractors
had some milk on hand.
On being recalled, John K. Whiting
said the contractors combination which
existed many years ago had been dis
solved because there was no further use
for it. He denied having received rebate
from any railroad but owned to a method
Of charging rebate against producer il e
can is not filled.
Mr.. whiting told the committee that
milk Of various qualities, some above and
some below the standard, comes to the
milk stations ia Boston and Is mixed In
large receiving tanks; when II comes out
Of that tank all OF II is up to the stand
ard. At present all the milk his COM
pany sells as milk Is pasteurized; prior TO
the present controversy only about one
third Of the supply was pasteurized.
What he said about the New York milk
applies to d. Whiting Il Sons and the C.
Brigham company, but the treatment Of
the general supply applies to the c.
Brigham company only.
Mr.. Whiting thought the farmers
ought to be able TO make a fair profit ct 1
cents quart but wanted 10 per cent for
the G. Brigham company, which cleared
up $4,000 last year. He admitted that
the policy to keep down the price to the
farmers so as to ask no more Of the con-
sumers, Is intended TO conserve the Bos-
ton market TO the Boston contractors as
far as possible.
The explanation OF the zone system
offered by this witness was that it has
grown out Of natural conditions in the
field. He said that years ago some con-
trsetors were paying more than others in
territory equally distant from Boston.
I ben the farmers would go to their con
tractors " no paid the smallest amounts
and complain. They would say: "Why
can't you pay ss much as the other fel-
low Are you less enterprising than