The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-16
PRICE so LOW
FARMERS QUIT
Secretary Pattee Tells New England
Milk Producers Association That
Cows are Disappearing in
New England.

Boston, Jan l6.-Cows are disappear
ing from New England at the rate o
10000 year. Milk for the Boston mar
ket brings the farmer little more thar
three cents quart 1t costs him mor'
than four cents. He cannot stand it
so he quits. Then the buyer inyade'
new territory, gets control of the To-
cal outlet, encourages the farmer tC
produce at loss as long as he can, then
moves again to fields green and pas.
lures new"
That is the situation that faces the
New England Milk Producers associa-
ton, according to the annual report OF
Secretary Richard Pattee, read yester.
day at the annual meeting at the Ameri-
can house, which was attended by about
zoo members and was presided over by
j. X. Mills of Northboro.
The early part of the session was ia
ken up by description of the milk
situation throughout New England as
seen by John G. Orcutt, secretary of the
chamber of commerce committee on ag-
riculture. By means of map Mr. Or
eutt surveyed the system of distribu-
ton and answered questions asked by
members. He spoke of the tendency on
the part of the public TO buy more and
come from bakeries, which means that
bakeries are talking far more milk than
formerly with corresponding less
amount distributed for domestic use. He
was asked how much milk was being
brought into Boston daily, but he said
that it was question that could not
be settled definitely. June and Novem-
Der were uses as bases of computation
and the figures have not yet been com
piled When asked for an approximate
expression he said that in general sew.
enty-flve cars OF milk move daily in
New England and about iifty-hye of
these reach Boston.
The report OF the secretary covered
the situation thoroughly. Mr.. Pattee
said that the geography OF New Eng
land creates peculiar situation in a
densely populated area in which only
part adapted 10 agriculture. A few
years ago the milk for consuming cen
tres was largely drawn from nearby
territory, but production has moved back
~ Aiit rue VI ilNt 10 NllftH lnlltb n wear
for ten years. The public is fast com.
ing TO realize that its interests lie in
the promotion OF the New England milk
production and IL has long been a mat
Ter of common knoledge that the
milk business was being driven out OF
New England by practices as needles as
they are unfair and burdensome Among
the things that the association should /
take action 90 correct in the New Eng |
land milk business the secretary men |
toned the following; First, the bust /
ness should BE- standardized ~ 10 meth /
DDS Of production; second the basis 1
81 sale by farmers to dealers should be /
uniforms third, transportation costs
which are charged back 70 the farmer. in I
decreased price should be 80 arranged 4
that be should pay just the freight. not
more or less; fourth. there should be- =
Standardization Of credit system.
Nothing can overcome the law" says
tile report, that commodity viii not
long b. produced at loss 10 the pro
Queer The investigation that has re-
Gently closed has shown what the ire
mendous decline in COW population had
already indicated-that Il docs not paw
the New England farmer 10 make milk
lor city consumption under present con-
ditions. The great unavaoidable fart il
hat the farmer must get more for milk
lr Quit"