Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-20
MILK SUPP['YvAR|ES
But No Reason Exists for In
creased Cost to Consumer.
No EXCUSE FOR SHORTAGE
Virginia Farmer Discusses the Sup
ply and Demand.
SUMMER AND WINTER FIGURES
Both Sides Of the Controversy At
fecting the Producers and
the Middlemen.
No EXCUSE FOR SHORTAGE
SUMMER AND WINTER FIGURES

while milk Is richer and less plentiful
never been a time, winter or summer.
when there was any good reason for a
shortage in the supply in Washington. 1t
costs more to furnish milk to the con-
sumner today than it did ten years ago,
but there is little reason for a substantial
increase in the price from year to year. .
The man who made these statements is
a Virginia farmer, who has been largely
in the milk-producing industry for many
years. Recently he has entered a new
vocation, in which, he says, the induce
ment to ARGUE" the case of the milkmen
is not as strong as it was.
From about the middle Of October to
Christmas. and perhaps New Years." he
continued, in talk upon the subject
milk is less plentiful than in the sum-
mer months. The demand for 1t. too. is
much greater, as a rule. This Is due 10
several reasons. First folks who have
spent their summer vacations in the coun-
try and who have learned to drink and to
like milk are BACK with milk thirst
Those who did not drink milk before
drink it then, and continue until they dis
cover that city milk is not just what they
learned to like in country milk
Additional Demand Created.
Then in the fall and winter months
comes the season for buildings and the
feast days, when eggnog is popular, and
these add to the demand; but they do
not by any means exhaust the product
That is generally done by the city deal
er. who gradually shortens the supply
for two reasons. One is to keep up the
price and the other Is to force the pro-
ducer to decrease the charge for it, and
in both he is usually successful.
THE price paid for milk by the city
dealer to the producer varies as well
from artificial as from natural causes.
Despite the claim to the contrary. the
city dealer pays the summer price to the
producer for six months and the winter
price for six months in the year; but he
charges the consumer the winter price
for seven months and gives him the
benefit Of the lower summer price for
but five months.
According to information furnished
me today by a prominent dealer, the
price he is now paying for his milk,
a gallon. The winter price, according to
his contracts. will be q cents gallon.
This cost. to him Is freight paid to the
railroad station In Washington. His
80 cents gallon. sold at the pint and
quart rate. His winter price. unless the
efforts made to raise the price of milk
are successful, will be about 40 cents a
gallon.
Il have read that some of the city
dealers claim to import milk from New
York, Pennsylvania and. New Jersey.
This may be- true. but It. doesn't ring SO
to me. Those states hold many large
cities, where the demand for milk is quite
as great as 1t is in Washington, If not
greater. There Is q good deal Of milk
obtainable in North Carolina and not far
distant southern states. which 1 think
can be bought at lower price than is
charged for the northern product. | am
inclined to believe, too, that It Is likely
to be better milk