The sun., 1910-02-17
BORDEN'S MILK PRICE RAISE
NO ONE CONSULTED. PRESI-
DENT ROGERS TESTIFIES.

He and Viee-PresIdent TayIOr Decided on
It--COst OG October Delivery showed
Small LOss-WOn'G Say what His Conn
pany win DO In summer Prices.
William j. Rogers. president for the
last nine years OF Borden's Condensed
Milk Company, who took the stand yes
terday in the milk trust investigation
being made by Deputy Attorney General
Coleman before Referee William @. Brown.
/ waived all immunities. especially the
immunity provided for in the statute
under which the investigation is being
carried on. He did IL by the advice OF
E. Snowden Marshall, the Borden COM
pany's counsel. This waving OF immu-
nifty has been a practice Of the Borden
counsel. s. F. Taylor. vice-president OF
the concern. and Dunlevy Milbank. A. j.
Milbank and Louis A. Hamilton. three
directors. all Of whom testified yesterday.
took the same attitude.
Mr.. Rogers denied that his company
had at any time any kind OF an arrange
msnt with any other milk concerns or
consolidation OF milk concerns with refer
ence to the raising OF the price OF milk
from s to Q cents a Quart. When Mr..
Coleman read the list Of important mem
bers of the Consolidated Milk Exchange
Mr.. Rogers disclaimed personal acquaint-
ence with any OF them.
Mr.. Rogers said that Borden's was
different from all other dealers. The
only person with whom he consulted
about raising the price was Mr.. Taylor.
the vice-president. When the board OF
directors met later in October the de-
termination to raise was reported to them.
but they took no action on it because
it was not in their province.
As to the reason for the raise Of one cent
made on November I. 1909. Mr.. Rogers
said that the lists for the total cost OF
delivering a bottle OF milk for October
had shown a loss OF one-fifth OF cent
a bottle to the company. so the raise
seemed necessary.
Wasn't it a necessary point OF good
business methods" asked Mr.. Coleman.
@Tor you to take into consideration the
stand which other important milk dealers
would assumep"
-No," was the response.
The consumers have never obtained
any benefit from the fact that you can
buy milk from the farmers in the summer
months at greatly reduced rates2 You
have never reduced the price in summer
under cents and yet say you that you
are forced to raise 1t in winter because
OF the higher price to the farmerI- said
Mr.. Coleman.
They (the consumers) get good value
for their money in summer" replied MIR.
Rogers.
How about winter milk' Isn't that
good value?"
Il D. lsa1 kAAN "a n
Coleman asked IL the Borden company
intended to give the consumers the
benefit Of the cheapness OF milk next
summer.
I'VE have our own ideas as to how to
run our business said Mr.. Rogers, "and
We don't intend to give out any informa-
ton on that score which might be OF use
to our competitors"
Mr.. Rogers had a great deal to say con-
|cerning the cost OF producing mill in New
York State. He said that there had been
a great falling Oh in the production OF
recent years. until they were now forced
to 20 from $50 TO 800 miles to get sufficient.
He spoke OF the many abandoned farms
near New York and said the Borden
company was educating the farmers
to raise their own food for cows, and by
thus reducing expenses the farms would
be profitable. He said that already sew
erai farms had been rejuvenated which
had lain idle for q long time. This educa-
tional policy OF Borden's. he said. was
Just a business proposition. in the hope
Of increasing the milk supply.
Mr.. Rogers spoke also OF the campaign
to educate the heads OF families in the
city so that they would demand the
purest country bottled milk He ad-
mitted under Mr.. Coleman q cross-exam-
nation that Borden's did about 90 per
cent. OF the country bottled milk busi-
ness and about II per cent. OF the entire
business.
The other witnesses Of the day did not
seem TO have any very definite knowledge
concerning the Borden company. Mr..
Taylor corroborated Mr.. Rogers in the
essential features OF the examination.
This telegram from Mr.. Rogers, on a
trip to Chicago. TO Taylor at 1Os Hudson
street, this city. dated July %. 1909. was
submitted:
Have yours OF the 10th and 10Th. Chicago
trip satisfactory. Take no action rega riding
prices There are important matters bear
ing on that question. w. j. RooERs.
Both testified that the prices referred
TO had To do with canning Of some vague
sort and had no relation to milk.
The hearing was adjourned until Mon
day next.