Newark post., 1910-02-16
Philadelphia, 2-oth-Io.
THE NEWARK POST.

ceived and the writer wishes to apollo
gize for the delay in answering it, but
owing to being out OF the office much
of late, all work was held up.
There is general feeling OF dissat-
isiaction and unrest among milk pro-
ducers, and rightly so, for the price is
too low.
1t is condition for which we. as
buyers u milk, are very sorry, yet we
are no more responsible for this con-
dition than is the farmer.
On account Of the dealer. during the
past three years, paying an increased
price Tor milk to the farmers, (but not
more and in some cases not as much
as was warranted by conditions) and
collecting no increase from the public,
he has reached the point where of
necessity he must follow the market
prices very closely, as indicatd by the
supply OF and the demand for milk.
AS happened last summer, when ow-
ing to the excessively dry weather,
milk became scarce, on July 10th, we
advanced our price at Newark from
SIPS to $I.4o per hundred; conditions
not improving on August 10th. we ad-
vanced from Sr.4o to $I.65 per hundred
So at this time milk is plenty and the
price must come down.
II we were getting q lair price for
milk sold in Philadelphia we would be
able to hold off these reductions in
price, vSile feeds are so high to the
farmer, put our position is such that
changes must be made as soon as the
market weakens.
The fact that milk is sold at cents
per quart for the entire year is often
mentioned.
This is fact, but also we are not
now, nor will we until next October,
sell our supply OF milk at 8 cents.
We are churning surplus milk at all
the cresmeries where we have churns,
and anyone can figure a loss on milk
at $I6o per hundred and butter at 80
cents per pound.
Getting enough milk to fill our or
ders during October November and
December, the same farmers will flood
US with perfect losing surplus for the
rest of the year, and with our margins
as close as they are at present, the
prices must come down as soon as the
surplus arrives.
What other food product is sold for
more than the market price at the time
it is sold?
Farmers take for their corn or pota-
toes the price ruling at the time OF
sale. even though it cost much more
to plant, care for and harvest that corn
or potato crop.
To-day every milk platform in Phila-
delphia has surplus milk upon it.
Within the month, milk has sold on
these platforms as low as 8 I-2 cents
per quart. ana gone begging Tor more
monev-farmers having no one to
whom to consign their milk and having
no creamery in their ne1ghborhooo
where all their milk is always accepted
at any time OF the year.
AS was said before these conditions
are not our making and we are sorry
for them, but $I6o per hundred is al
milk is worth today and to pay more
than the market price would mean re-
tirement from that part OF the country
as buyers.
Answering your question as to wha'
we are paying at points along the Cen
tral Division. will say that there ou1
price is SI65 per hundred, but no SKIN
milk for the patrons, az these points
AS Prof. Van Norman recently saie
in the course of some remarks upon th'
milk situation, ''the farmer must ad
dress himself to reducing the cost o
production OF milk, just as the city
q sdealer must to the problem OF reduc
ing the cost of distribution, for thu
margin OF profit is getting smaller. an'
the ones that do not do this VIII D'
tOrced out OF business.
The above is given in every spirit
good feeling for the milk producers
and with the hope that it will be sc
accepted by them.
Very truly.
Abbotts Alderney Diaries, 1923 filper
street, Philadelphia.
c ADpnTT VIII Its