New-York tribune., 1910-01-27
NEW MILK INQUIRY
Grand JURY 1T WORK
Referee Refuses to Stop State
Investigation MeanzUhile.

The grand jury investigation OF the al
legged milk trust in this city was oeguh
Yesterday with the presentation OF docu-
mentary evidence and the testimony OF
few witnesses qualified TO know something
about conditions in the milk business.
William Grant Brown, the referee before
whom testimony was taken in the Attor-
ney Generals investigation, also was sum-
moned, presumably to Identify the mass OF
evidence turned over to District Attorney
Whitman by the state officials
The grand jury sat from until o'clock'
which, it is understood. will be the extent
of the daily session during the month or
more that the inquiry is expected to last.
Other witnesses besides Mr.. Brown on
the opening day were Gustavus c. Witter-
hahn, secretary OF the Milk Dealers Pro-
tective Association of this city; Joseph
Laemmle, secretary of the Consolidated
Milk Exchange and also a member OF the
milk firm of Joseph Laemmle & Co.: Louis
Miller. of Louis Miller & Bro, milk dealers,
and Samuel Levy. OF No. AZ Forsyth street.
a member of the Milk Dealers Protective
Association.
When the session in the proceedings in
stituted by Attorney General O'Malley
opened yesterday Alfred Ely. counsel for
some of the members Of the Consolidated
Milk Exchange. moved for a discontinue
ance OF the inquiry on the ground that the
grand jury has started an investigation
along similar lines. John r. Coleman. spe-
cial Attorney General, objected to a dis
continuance and was upheld by the ref
cree. Incidentally. Mr.. Coleman denied
that he had instigated the grand jury in
quiry.
Former State Senator William P Rich
largely responsible for the dissolution OF
the old Milk Exchange. said that he could
not see where its successor, the Consoli-
dated Milk Exchange, was Of any benefit
to the producer. When asked il he had
any knowledge of combination of the
dealers to control the price to the producer
and consumer he said that II no combina-
ton existed the dealers showed a peculiar
unity of mind.
Mr.. Richardson said that there was no
other business in the city that is conducted
in such an unsystematic and unbusiness-
like way as the milk business Most of the
milk is from forty to sixty hours old when
1t gets to the consumer. he said. The only
benefcfaries Of the present system, he
added, are the middlernen, and the big con-
Germs are nearly all their own middlemen.
Persuasion was needed at the conferences
Of the New York Milk Committee at No.
100 East 22d street, yesterday afternoon TO
induce a discussion of the price of milk.
The need of cleaner milk for the ba bies
Of this city had been emphasized by several
speakers. and the time for questions had
arrived when member of the audience
suggested tkat price was the burning ques-
ton Of the hour. Stephen G. Williams. the
chairman of the meeting, asked for re-
when silence reigned supreme he said:
where's our courage"
Then Alfred Ely arose to make known
the farmers point of view. He said for
the first time in the twenty-nine years he
had been dairyman he was now receiv-
ing feur cents a quart for his product but
that he had heard that shortly after the
Civil War the farmers of New York State
received six cents. Then he went on to
show that the price of cows, of feed. of
labor and of stable material had doubled in
the last twenty years
Forty-s>~o per cent of the milk received
By the farmer he continued goes to pay
for nillfeed Of the remainder half must
pay for labor. leaving the producer eight
tenths of cent quart. out of which must
come all outlays for improvements, main
tenance, insurance and taxes. Now, where
does the farmers family come in?
''In my valley 1 know of many farms
that had herds of cows twenty, and even
ten. years ago that haven't a single COW
on them to-day, simply because New York
City refuses to pay adequately for the milk
it demands. 1 know these things because
I have lived Up there. Fortunately I have
lived in New York City also"
Stephen Francisco. president OF the Ma
tional Certified Milk Dealers Association.
who had read a paper showing the big
drain on the farmers pocketoook involved
in the improvements of the milk supply,
introduced this resolution, which was ap-
plauded:
Resolved, That al changes in the price
of milk b. considered only by a board o..
which the producers have an equal repre-
sentation with the consumers"
Ebenezer j. Preston, Assistant Commits
siCner of Agriculture. himself dafryman.
testified TO the honesty of New York milk
producers and to their need of a greater
return for their product, saying that the
Commissioner himself had approved the
Scent price for bottled milk in this citv
as safeguard against impure or adut-
terated milk.