Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-08-04
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1910.
NINE CENTS A QUART.

The price of milk In Perth Am
boy, as well as In several othel
places, has been raised to nine cents
a quart. The dealers have an agree
ment among themselves whereby
they take such steps and as every
one has to have milk there is moth
Ing else to do but pay the price
The recent raise was accepted pref
ty generally throughout the city
without a protest. 1t was explained
4 that the dry weather had dried up
the pasture, the feec for cows cost
more and that 1t was necessary to
get more for the milk. The reason
sounded plausible, and so it passed.
The EVENING NEWS Is in receipt
of a letter, however, that seems to
throw a different light on the mat
ter. We believe this letter Is worthy
Of especial consideration and we
quote it here as follows:
Editor EVENING NEWS:
Having read in your issue Of the
18th the dealers side as to cost of
milk, and the necessity of raising it
on account of dry weather and extra
cost of producing, let me say the
argument is all right. 1t does cost
more to produce milk and the price
should be higher, but why not give
at least part of that raise to US, as
we are not getting any more for
milk than we did years ago? The
farmers are receiving ~ cents per
quart for milk delivered at stations
along the line of the Lehigh Valley
railroad and 3b Is the highest in
winter. Now, while the middleman
Is pushing mp on the consumer, l
wonder If he intends to divide up
with the producer, or does he want
1t all himself?
A FARMER.
This farmer tells us that he is
receiving 3h cents for milk today
the same as he received in winter
or any other time. If the dry wealth
er has had effect on anyone. it must
have hit the farmers who own the
cows. If the cost of feed is any
greater now than previously. it
must be the farmer who is paying
IT. The majority of local dealers
buy the milk from the farmers. We
fail to see what the dry weather has
to do with the mere delivery OF
milk. We doubt If 1t costs any more
to get the milk at the station and
leave 1t on the porches of the differ
ent customers in dry weather thar
1t does In wet weather. If the state
ment of this farmer is true, and We
have no reason to doubt him, the re
tail milk dealers must find som,
other c for the raise in price
To buy milk at ~ cents a quar-
anu oCii ~ iOI y SSHlS LuSdnS d pTOu
of SIS cents a quart, or more thai
100 per cent. increase. This look
like pretty good profit. OF course
out of this the milk dealers has t.
take the cost of maintaining hi
horse and wagon, which is not Sc
considerable. Even if the retaile.
should have to pay four cents
quart for the milk, it would seem al
If eight cents a quart which is dou
bic the Wholesale price, ought to b,
sufficient.
In Philadelphia the price of mill
has just been raised to nine cent
a quart. 1t seems the shippers Their,
have an organization known as tn,
Philadelphia Milk Shippers Union
The farmers of South Jersey, Penn
sylyania and Delaware belong to il
According to the statement of tn
retail dealers, this union has bee
getting az cents a quart and ha
now raised the price at wholesale t
Az cents a quart. On this the re
tailers base their right to raise tn
price to nine cents at retail. Tn
Philadelphia Inquirer discusses thi
as follows:
1--WE are told by the retailers tha
they cannot possibly deliver milk t
the people of this city for an ad
n over the wholesale price {
less than 100 per cent; that the
have been losing money on the eigt
cents a quart basis, and have onl
maintained that schedule from
greatly enlarged ems Of publ
duty That has been very good {
them, and it must be said that the
have not generally been suppose
capable OF 80 much disinterestednesi
Seemingly, 1t Is their idea to continu
doing business at a loss. as the min,
cent rate merely conforms to tn
increase in the wholesale price, bI
why there should be any loss at al
why there should not be an extreme
~ substantial profit, when a CON
modify Is retailed at an advance