The Detroit times., 1912-10-12
Consented Only After Months to
Fair Price; Then Soaked
Consumer M
PROFIT Is 100 PER CENT
ABOVE COUNTRY COST
Increase in Handling Expense
Met by Swimming Milk for
Butter and Ice Cream
BY II. III. MACK.

Apropos the increased price at
which milk IL selling In Detroit. !
note that some OF the local papers ara
blaming the farmers for the advance.
am inclined to think, however,
that the facts In the case do not war.
rant this conclusion. The Detroit re-
tailers are charging 20 cents more
Aper gallon than the average price
ssthat they pay the farmer. not to men,
tion the cream that they take on to
bring the milk down to the three per
cent test which satisfies the law.
In other words, Detroit milk deal
ers are selling milk for 226 per cent of
country cost. which averages about Is
cents per gallon. Does this look as II
the farmer Ia TO blame for the In
crease?
5 AS can be plainly seen, MILK CAN
BE SOLD IN DETROIT FOR EIGHT
CENTS PER QUART AND STILL
YIELD THE HANDLER AN AID
VANCE OF 100 PER CENT ABOVE
COUNTRY COST.
( In their apparently helpless posi-
tion, what seems TO me to be the
only consolation for Detroit consum-
ers, Is the fact that great improve
sment has been made In the average
quality sold In this city during the
past year.
81 The statement recently made to the
effect that the farmer has not asked
sfor q higher price for his milk pro-
tfuct, II not true. He had been ask
ing for months for more. because COM
kplfance with the stringent regulations
Sbf the Detroit Board Of Health has
made It necessary for him to make
heavy investments In new buildings,
dairy utensils, etc.
He feels that his dairy should yield
him enough more, annually, to AT
least pay the interest on this extra
investment.
Another fact which justifies the
farmer In wanting more for milk from
his COWS, Is the high average cost OF
dairy cows as compared with a few
years ago.
Mich cows are becoming less plen-
stiful every year, because OF the whole
sale slaughter of heifer calves. The
city milk consumer and not the mid
die man, however. pays the penalty
Resulting from the cattle breeders
bad judgment In this respect
4 II II time that the handling OF the
milk after II reaches the city, re-
sulting In a prompt and regular dis
tribution, costs much more than 1t
formerly did: wages are higher,
horses are higher, and, in fact, every
item Of expenses connected with
storage and distribution. is higher
than II formerly was. but In the case
OF the large dealers. THIS IN
CREASED EXPENSE IS MORE
THAN OVERCOME BY SWIMMING
THE MILK, RICH IN BUTTER FAT,
AND CONVERTING THE CREAM
INTO ICE CREAM.
VI One of the things that has caused
the greatest dissatisfaction, among
milk producers In the districts trib.
ntary to the steam railroad lines, is
the persistence with which some OF
the large dealers having cooling sta
tons along these lines, have resisted
every attempt, on the part Of the
farmers, to secure an increase In
price.
: All through the spring and the
months OF early summer, these big
dealers were only paying $125 per
cwt. when the farmers. located along
the electric lines. only few miles
away. we're receiving $3.50 per cwt.
for milk OF the same average quality.
! Can these farmers be blamed for
feeling indignant when they see these
dealers. who grind them down so
fine, pushing up prices In the city be-
yond all reason, and when asked by
their customers TO account for the
advance, to lay the blame on the
..farmer?