The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-03-26
FARMERS FAIL TO HOLD OUT
Officials of the Association Send Out
Letter Advising Farmers to Get the
Best Possible Price For Milk For the
Summer Months.

The fight of the Milk Producers As
Bociation which started with such
bright prospects week ago has fizzled
out and there is now rush among the
members of the association to sign up
contracts for the new year. The Off
gals Of the association have admitted
tAefeat and formal letter has been
sent to directors and members Of the
association advising that the contracts
now offered be accepted There is a
note of bitterness N the letter in which
the fight is declared off. The farmers
have not as yet learned the lesson of
cooperation in this matter and it IS
evident that many of them have signed
contracts regardless of the advice of
the association leaders. The letter from
the officials which admits the collapse
of the efforts to secure higher prices
for the summer months, is as follows:
go Your milk board has canvassed the
situation very thoroughly. From the
start we recognized some real difficult
ties. The high price of milk for the
last year, together with the excessive
flow of the past six months, has had a
tendency to make producers content,
where year ago they were filled with
discomfort. Then, too, the directors
had no meeting before March End,
which did not allow sufficient time for
a wide and stirring campaign. The
feeling, too, was abroad and oft ex-
. pressed that, owing to business depres-
sion and che recent surplus, we should
have to submit this summer to a sub
stantial cut in prices In spite of all
these facts, your directors, realizing
the benefit to producer and distributor
alike Of a more uniform supply of milk
throughout summer and winter, ~sug-
gested three cents per hundred pounds
advance, promising a corresponding
drop for next winter milk. The large
Chicago buyers, not being willing to
meet us in this step of as great benefit
to them as to us, need not look for us
to propose a lower price for next win
ter milk. These unfavorable condi-
tions for maintaining higher price ex-
list, and we doubt if the present is
favorable time to press for all our de-
mands
Probably we must be content to take
this summer, substantially last sum
mer s prices. The Bowman price now
offered is the same as that given last
summer. Most of the smaller dealers
are following Bowman s lead. While
we cannot censure too strongly the
Borden dividend method, and while we
hope and believe we shall be able at
no distant date by the cooperation of
all Borden patrons to force this com
pany to give us a fiat price, still, judg-
ing by what the company has done the
last two contract periods, we believe
the Borden patrons are not likely this
summer to receive less than the asso-
citation price. Therefore, with some
hesitation and more regret, and still
with assurance that study of the whole
situation justifies us, we advise an ac-
ceptance of the prices offered or what
ever better can be locally secured.
We now know the weakest spots in
our territory, and are maturing plans
for strengthening these. While success
cannot come in heaps and by leaps and
bounds, it has come and will come.
Let us keep together and with courage
and determination face the future.
In settling upon last summer price
for botthng milk it would be unfair 70
hold smaller dealers to the proposed in
creased price on cans. Secure last sum-
mer S price, $1.25.
Very faithfully and respectfully,
,. l.. Lincoln H. G. Benhart
w. A. Goodwin j. L. Cadmore
John Read Albert E. lack