The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-10-02
SHEPHERD PROBES
MILK PRICE BOOST
Looks Into Story That Increase
is Result of Existence
of Trust

The attention or prosecuting Attor
ney Shepherd mas been called by sew
eral people to the advance in the
price of milk to nine cents quart,
the increase becoming effective Tues
day. The prosecutor has been told
that there is strong suspicion that
the advance is due to the existence
of local milk trust and he is investi-
eating the situation thoroughly, with
promise of action If the facts war
rant ii.
The high cost OF feed is the alleged
reason for the increase, and it works
out as follows:
The farme- gets 20 cents more for
every 100 pounds of milk-so. the
dealers say, although this is holly
disputed
The creamery gets % cents more
for every 100 pounds or milk.
So II il takes one horse in the city
TO deliver the milk OF each COW in the
country. the arrangement is equitable
so far as the producers and distribut'
ors OF milk are concerned.
Dealers say that II is customary TO
boost the price OF milk each year al
the approach Of winter, but nine
cents is the highest price that has
ever been charged In Detroit. When
IL was rumored that the price
would be raised. many wives who
we're long on hubbys wages laid IN
S. or $40 worth OF tickets, and will
not be affected by the boost until al
ter Christmas. Others, who bought
tickets today at the innocent rate.
found that they received IL for a
dollar. the milkmen pocketing the
extra cent. Housewives are talking
of paying their milkmen a nickel and
four pennies every morning, thus forc'
ing him to carry a safe in the wagon.
when the advance in feed has been
used sufficiently as an argument lot
the increase, the creameries fali DacK
on the health boards stricter regula-
lions as a reason.
"I have positive knowledge that the
farmers Of Wayne county have not
yet been paid or promised any IN
crease i'm price for milk, and so the
dealers of Detroit, in advancing that
argument for the boosting of the
price OF milk to nine cents quart
are guilty of gross misrepresenta-
ton" declared Mrs. Alfred y. DUNK,
chairman of the Housewives Wei
fare committee OF the Detroit Fedora
ton of Women's clubs, and president
of the Detroit Housewives league.
From information which ] have al
hand. the result OF weeks OF careful
work. | am convinced that the adj
vance To nine cents, Is merely the first
of a series of advances, by the Detroit
milk dealers. In Cleveland a SINH
lar state of affairs has resulted In a
grand Jury. In Detroit, grand Juries
do not seem to work very hard on the
lob. so that a grand jury to probe the
milk trust would probably be produc
tive of no greater results than Is the
case in other directions where grand
juries have been called.
"No. indeed, the Detroit House
wives league Is not resting In this
matter" said Mrs. Dunk. emphatical
ly. Members Of our committee Will
have a conference within the next "a
hours with representatives OF the
farmers and of the local dealers to go
farther into the matter than was done
in the public meeting. in the Scripps
library, last week. One OF the Cd
stacles. I'm our efforts to place this
milk question fairly and squarely be-
fore the public. is met with In the
declination Of two of Detroit's daily
papers to print anything except that
which is favorable to the big Detroit
creameries. The reason given Is that
the creameries are big advertisers and
that the owners OF the papers are
large stockholders in the creameries
The papers in question made nc
bones about telling us these things
Everybody knows that any movement
or cause must be presented to the
general public through the newspa
pers.
I'VE have no desire TO berate the
local milk dealers and stand-up FOL
the farmers, but we want to get az
the actual facts on both sides. We
believe that nine cents a quart is toe
high price for milk, especially In
the face OF the price known to be
paid to the original producer. Rome
was not built in day. and so the
Housewives league cannot combat
the milk situation in Detroit In a
week or two, but we propose to keel
steadfastly at work until some gen
uine beneficial result is obtained.