The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-03-01
Milk Producers to Organize.

George Wildes was chosen chairman,
and A. G. Buck was selected as secretary.
In order to get the subject before the
meeting the following resolution was
offered:
Whereas, the wholesale price of milk to
the producer for the Philadelphia market
has been continuously for the last two
or three years, at least relatively very low,
as compared with other food products, and
especially with prices of hay and grain
and also labor used in milk production;
in consequence milk has been, and now is
being produced in New Jersey in very
many instances below the actual cost of
such production, leaving no profit and
often loss to the farmer, and
Whereas, the producer has no voice in
deciding what the price shall be, but
simply receives a short notice from his
dealer, the distributor of his product,
THE price of milk will be so much per
quart the ensuing month, while the
dealers retail price remains the same;
| Resolved, by the farmers and milk ship
pers at Mount Holly assembled this Goth
day of February, 1910, that determined
policy should be inaugurated here to-day,
by thorough organization, to remedy this
crying evil, this wrong and injustice to
ourselves, our families and our brother
farmers;
Resolved, that the day be devoted to a
full and free discussion on the subject and
in preparing to take the initial step; at
least, towards perfecting great organiza-
ton or some other method to bring about
more desirable results to the producers of
milk.
Chairman Wildes asked for free dis
cussion, not only on the resolution, but
upon any point that would tend to en-
tighten those present on the subject that
was of great importance to the farmers.
Monroe s. Citizens, of Southampton,
said he believed in organization. He had
not always been a milk producer. His
trade was that of a glass molder. He has
had practical knowledge Of the value
OF organization. He believed that officers
should be chosen and that men with abil-
ity to present the subject should be sent
all over the state and solicit milk pro-
ducers to join in order to secure their
rights. Then he would have committee
with power to set the price of milk every
six months. If the dealers did not care
to purchase at the figures given them, let
them go without the milk. Keep it home
and feed it to the hogs. Control the sup
ply and the price could easily be controlled.
John O'Leary, Jr., also of Southamp.
ton, held the same views as Mr.. Citizens,
but there was another point he wished to
impress, and that was the necessity of
standing together. There might be times
when it would look as if there would be
loss and possibility of having milk re-
fused or thrown on the hands of the pro-
Queer. 1t would take some determination
to maintain a decided stand and there
might be some one who would weaken. If
there was not frmness on the part of all
and positive maintenance of a stand once
taken there would not be much use to be-
gin. He believed the farmers today had
control of the situation, and all that was
needed was for each to back the other.
Alfred Cox, Of Springfield, was in favor
of forming trust and getting directly in
touch with the consumer.
Mr.. Citizens also thought there should
be an organization and it ought to cover
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
There should be committee of retailers
TO meet committee of dealers and price
for milk should be arranged for a certain
length of time, and every farmer should
abide by the decision of the committee.
One trouble is that farmers lack confidence
In each other, and unless that situation is
changed and there is perfect unanimity
and confidence there would not be much
use to go ahead and try to relieve the
present situation.
]. Walter Pancoast, of Salem, president
of the Milk Shippers Union, was asked to
speak and he explained the methods of
the organization. They had been able to
compel the dealers to recede from an arro-
CANT position and had been able to get
valuable concessions. On the point of
organization he cautioned against getting
into combination and thereby running
the risk of coming under the Sherman
antitrust law. If an executive commit.
tee were to send out word for the farmers
to do certain things, as has been suggested,
there might be danger of coming under
that law on the presumption that the
farmers were combining to hold up the
price of necessities. He did not deem it
advisable to go headlong into any move
ment to force dealers unless perfectly sure
of the ground before starting. Speaking
on the subject of holding milk back until
the dealers we're brought to terms, he said
his Union had never found sentiment
strong enough to take such steps as an
organization. He thought such a course
should be left entirely to the individual.
Don't you think a perfect organization
would result in an increase in the price of
milkY" he was asked. His answer was
that it might work for little while, but
the dealers are very powerful, with
great amount of capital back of them and
they would not give In without struggle.
Ex-iudge Benajah P. Wills made few
remarks. He called attention to the fact
that while producers could not make any
money, in some cases could not meet ex-
penses, the dealers were boarding at the
large hotels, some of them clearing
800, 900 year. To this Mr.. Pancoast re-
piled that Mr.. Abbott one of the largest
dealers, had said he could not, at the pres
ent prices, make any money, but, on the
contrary, was going backward each year.
Mr.. Crispin, another Salem county man,
did not hold with the idea of Mr.. Pan
coast on the provisions of the Sherman
law. He did not think it was common
sense to think that the United States
could prosecute a farmer for selling his
products at the best price he could get,
whether he did it as an individual or as a
member of an organization formed for the
purpose of securing that end. He was
the first man to get an organization in
Salem county and he believed it to be the
best thing that ever happened. Every
farmer should join in such a movement,
but unless he proposed to stand by the
articles of association even though loss
might look him in the face occasionally,
there was no use in going into it.
Samuel s. Fort, of Wrightstown, who