Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-05

lply and the brain and muscle Of whole people
Highpriced milk restricts very necessar,
food supply for children 1t is pitifully true
that less milk b consumed per capita in Homo
lulu than in any city of the mainland for which
there is a record at hand New Orleans is given
the lowest per capita consumption of milk fol
mainland cities, with more than an eighth of a
quart daily. Statistics which are only approx
mate but which are close enough for ordinary
purposes show that in Honolulu the consump
ton is less than tenth of a quart per capita.
1t is apparent, then, that already less milk is
consumed per individual in Honolulu than in
any mainland city; far less than the normal, the
average being about one-fourth of a quart. Part
of this low consumption of milk il perhaps due
to the. character of the population, for the Ha.
waiians are not large users of milk, and the
0rientals use it sparingly, in many cases not at
all. Dairymen, however,, attribute the light con
sumption here mostly to the high price of milk
as compared to the buying power of the lower
classes. Men with large families who wages
do not exceed thirty or forty dollars month
cannot afford milk at ten or eleven cents per
quart.
So it is that Honolulu, where the people al
ready use less milk than normal is to see anotIl-
er raise in prices The dairymen cannot be
blamed They are able and frankly willing TO
show why their expenses make the selling of milk
at eleven cents quart financial impossibiity.
Yet this city cannot calmly accept such a con-
dition 1t is direct and telling blow at the gen.
eral health of the city and the character of its
population. 1t has been suggested that the gov.
ernInent take the matter up and see if certain
fixed charges now operative in the business can be
lessened, such as by giving freedom from taxes.
This remedy will not 60 far enough. Taxes are
a small proportion of the expenses of dairyihg.
The cost of feed is an enormous item Perhaps
the government may come to realize that a cheap
milk supply is important enough to warrant the
setting aside of public lands for grazing pur.
poses, or for the raising of feed.
One suggestion goes further than this, that is,
an endowed dairy, with the government as the
bcnefactor and the people as the beneficiary, but
this is going rather more into paternalisln than
most state or municipal governments would care
now to 60 On the other hand, why should not
the territorial agricultural school take up the
handling of milk as part of It's regular course
of dairy instruction? In this direction the Uni
versity of Wisconsin has made successful rec
ord. 1t eliminates the amiddleman, z the cost of
milk distribution being borhe by the state inso-
far as the business is run by the dairy school
and the students do most of the work s
Such plan benefits the dealer because it pro
vides what is practically free distribution. II
benefits the consumer because he gets his milk
at cost plus slight profit to the producer. II
benefits the students because they get valuable
practical experience.
In some cities it might be. objected that state
institution would be thus taking away the liveli.
hood of people engaged in the milk distribution
business But lift is true, as is now urged as
the reason for increasing the milk prices, that
the Honolulu Dairyman's Association is making
no money, and that the dairy interests of Oahu
generally are not making money, the milk-pro-
ducers should have no objection if the College OF
Hawaii were to establish marketing system
in connection with its dairy school, and handle
milk for every milkman and farmer of this isl.
and who wishes to patronize a free and guaran-
teed distribution agency.
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= Uncle Sans representatives at Havana, Nj
caragua Guatemala, and Panama are in trouble.
M !.