New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-09
TO AMEND MILK BILL
State Commission Will Regulate
Price in This City Only.
MONOPOLY HERE-C0LEMAN
Investigator at Hearing Says
Bottled Milk Should Be Sold
for 7 Cents in Summer.

Albany. March Sine W avs anu N'""'
Committee will amend the Foley Bill, pro-
vidlng for a state MIX Commission to reg
ulate the price Of milk, so that IT VIII
apply only 10 New York City. instead 81 TO
all cities OF the first class. In speaking ior
the measure at hearing before thc CONF
mittce to-day John y. coleman, VINO, as
Special Deputy Attorney General unhf'
Mr.. O'Mslley. conducted an investigation
into the milk situation in New York, de-
clared that monopoly for the purpose ot
fixing the prices Of milk existed in New
York city. He said the relation between
supply and demand and prices there was a
dead letter
Proof cannot be obtained under the pres
ent anti-conspiracy law" he said. because
the dealers do not enter into an agreement
10 raise the prices. They merely meet 10
discuss the business situation. and the
price of milk then goes MP. The dealers
have the pubic by the throat. as milk Is
a necessity"
Mr.. Coleman quoted from several deci-
sions TO show that IT was within the power
Of the state 20 regulate prices.
do you think that the time has arrived
when the state should regulate the price OF
all monopolies?" asked Assembiyman Mer-
riit.
Il do" was the reply
What do YOU consider a fair price for
milk in New York city,
When sold IN bottles, seven cents IN the
summer and nine cents in the winter Al
present the price Is nine cents all the year
around, and the producer receives only two
and half cents. The margin il unfair 10
both 70 the producer and the public
In speaking for the bill Assemblyman
Foley. the intToducer OF the bill, said that
the measure had been misrepresented 10
the farmers. They had been led to believe,
he said, by the big milk dealers, that the
bill would have the effect OF reducing the
price paid 10 them, but he denied that II
would in any way affect them.
The representatives of dealers and farm
ers' associations spoke against the meas
ure, arguing that 1t was not feasible to reg
ulate prices by law. and that the present
authorities can do all that should be done
in the supervision Of the milk business.
Those who spoke against the bill included
ex-Assemblyman Beverly +. Robinson. rep
resentng the Borden Condensed MIX Com
pany. OF New York City: J. r stephens. G.
y. Kellogg. Of Cortland; d. G. culver, of
Duchess County; Alfred Ely and Il. J..
Brumley. representing the New York SAM
tary Milk Dealers Association.
The Senate and Assembly Agricultural
committees gave Joint hearing on the
Collin commission merchant bills. drafted
by the New York State Fruit Growers
Association. They provide that commission
merchants shall be bonded and licensed,
that they shall be under the supervision OF
the Commissioner of Agriculture and shall
keep books. accessible both TO the Commits
sioner and the producers with whom they
do business. The speakers In favor of the
measures were introduced by John Van
Ness Philip. Of Claverack, y. Y, of the
Fruit Growers Association. They included
the representatives OF horticultural and
agricultural societies from all over the
state. They argued that a present the
commission merchants had the producers
at their mercy and that fragrant frauds
were perpetrated. particularly on the small
farmers, by dishonest commission mer-
chants.
The only opposition came from Senator
Travis. produce merchant. who held that
under the present Law man who has been
so robbed has all the redress necessary.
The hearing was adjourned for two weeks
at his request 10 give the commission mer-
chants chance 10 no heard