Connecticut western news., 1912-02-29
FARMERS ORGANIZE
ProminentFarmers Join the DairYmen's League and Organize Local Branch

League and Organize Local Branch
 A meeting was held Saturday after noon at Town Hall for the purpose of interesting farmers in this vicinity in the Dairymen's League, and was at- tended by about twenty-five farmers who are milk producers.
 Organizer G. M. Baboock. who has bee here several days in the interest of the company, and MT. c. E. Hough, of Washington, Conn, were the principal speakers, MT. Hough, who is director for Litchfield county, earnestly advised the farmers to join the League. He said that 90 percent. of the farmers in Washington were members, and local l branches had been organized in New town, Washington, New Milford, Kent and Cornwall Bridge.
 MT, Babcock spoke at length. and ex- plained the obUects and benefits of the League. The purposes of this company shall be to oppose and prevent monopoly in the production and sale of milk, and to encourage competition therein, and
  sumers of milk against monopoly or any unlawful combination of any kind or nature whereby the producers or con sumers of milk are injuriously affected; 1 to promote legislation and board of health ordinances beneficially affecting the interests of it's stockholders who are producers of milk for the metropolitan district and other markets. and to act as their agents in marketing their pro- ducts. Any milk producer may become 8 stockholder on payment of % cents per COW, for which stock will be issued to him at the rate of $2.50 per share that is, one share for 10 COWS. and for each additional COW one-tenth share. MT. Babcock said the farmers are not satisfied with the present conditions for the reason that they have no say as to what price they shall receive for their products, He described in dramatic l manner group of farmers who go to the offices of the large milk concerns and I sign a contract for six months-go with their hands out to take whatever the oompenies see it to give them for their produce, regardless of the cost of pro- 'duction. "Who is to blame9' asked the speaker. "No one but the farmers them selves" he remarked: To illustrate the position the, average farmer was in dur ing the last season, he said the crops were poor. the price of grain advancing, the shortage of feed, and almost every. thing the farmer had to buy cost him more, aud on the contract day in Sep. 1 tember the Bordens cut the price of milk 10 to 13 cents a hundred pounds. In October the milk monopolies in New York raised the price to the consumer which netted them over three millions of dollars. It requires, he said, Al ,00O can of milk and 2,00O cans of cream a day to supply the New York market. { and this supply is controlled by the trust. It requires about 300, 900 COWS to supply this amount of milk, and the owners of ;15,000 cows now belong to the League.
 In closing the speaker made 8 very urgent plea for the farmers to organize, saying all classes of labor had their unions, that capital was organized, in fact, everybody but the farmer. "The eime has come,' sald he, ito get to- getherkand stick together, and not until they did that would they get their just rights and privileges. The farmers could be the strongest organization in the country if they would stand to- gether.
 MT. Hough again addressed the meet ing, and spoke kind word for the Borden Company, remarking that he thought the company was one of the best of the big companies, but bought their milk as cheap as possible.
 A question Was asked one of the speakers: What about the price when there is a surplus of milk in New York;" He replied there was not surplus of milk in New York except when created by the trusts to scare the farmer and keep the price down, and by increasing or decreasing the manufacture of con- densed milk they could control the SUD- ply of fluid milk entering New York at any time.
 MT. Charles c. Lanneau explained how the fruit dealers in New Jersey were able to market their products to their advantage through an organiza- tion. After short discussion, MT. J. o. Stevens made motion that @ local branch of the League be organized. The motion was carried by 8 unanimous vote, and the following officers elected: President, Jarvis 0. Stevens; secretary, Charles G. Lanneau; treasurer, Walter s. VanDeusen.
 Among those who joined the League were: J. F. Spaulding, Wm- Black, E.. J. Donalds, F. J. Emmons, B. L. Frink, J. H. Deloy, |: E. Rather, Frank Shy der and August Anderson.
 A genuine interest was shown in the new organization, and 1t is expected the membership will grow rapidly.