Putnam patriot., 1915-11-26


 iage can i ? found within easy reach of our manufacturing cities, where far fewer cows are kept than isn or fifi-en years ago. Meanwhile the pri of milk has been st adiIy lisiuQ 10 i-n, twelve, snd even Gfteza sauts, and, strangely enough, the consumption of milk 10 the large cities etWeau Portland and New Haven, with an akerega'= popu- lalion of over five million persons, hes decreased on Che pr capita basis, an anomalous state Of ali airs, s,sureiv, when the one food 50 wholesome and Of such importance, especially to infants and children. Is not put on the market in such fsshi5n as 10 secure readily for il the degr1s Of assumption il ought to have in any well organized dielic scheme. The yigor and good sense which the Boston Cham zr of Commerce is ape plying to the treatment of this compli- eated problem are an important slep toward is ultimate solution. It has put forth A pamphlet Of sixty pages embodying the re ullr of an inquiry into the production, transportation, in- SD ction and distribution Of milk and cream In New England It lets in a flood of light upon complicated situ alton, and while f. [ alike to pfodut CTS, dealers end consumers, 1t clearly sets forth what in The judgment of the trs'1ed exTsr's who made the inyesti gaiion should some b pass fl strife is D give plr efoe1 operation and order iepla, e1ndiiions which are in many CTS chaotic.
 The first r 5mmendat is that no Hltlk or cream shall | sold except in containers showing the quality. This would spur tae farmer on . the pro- dueing Of high quality Of milk with the exI ctation of remuneration bas- ed upon the brand furnished. The customer also sees at a glance what he buys. As the report puts il: "At pres. ent the general farmer has very little voice in determining the price to te paid for h.s milk end cream He takes what the dealer offers, which Is generally the pri for no sp- cia grade of product, rnd is influen, ed largely by the yearly surpus.n
 The se eond recommendation is that the system whereby one car is leased exclusively to one dealer be abolished, and that the railroads transport milk for all ,desi.iug their setvic.s at so much per .ean. On tbs the Iepot says; "rhe leasedcar system fsnds to g,ve buying monopoly to the dealer in each producing district, This usual . Iy makes It impossible for the farmers to secure competitive bids or to send their product directly to the city mar ket, thereby preventing their obtain Ing the lest price their product can commend ead ~eokenlngflh 1T iueeu tive for Improvement
 The third recommendation is that farmers and business men of each pro- milk station for pro, sssing the milk and taking care of the surplus. Already in New York and other stal les these central milk stations have sn estat lished to lhe great advantage of ali concerned
 We have mol space further to repro duce other points and arguments made in connection with this remarkable report, but NC hope every county pas tor will send to the Boston Chamber oi Commerce for,it and for the sup plementarN pamphlet entitled, The Importance of the Dairy Industry to the Citizenship of New England, by Lyon Weyburn, first delivered as an address before he,Twentieth Century Club of Boston last month. When such an organization, whose main in- terest is in the higher life of the world thinks It worth it's while to de vote an entire meeting to the milk question, il behooves ministers and other leaders of the Church, especially in rural districts, to keep apprised of new developments and concrete sug- sestlons In connection with an in- dustry whose success or failure has it's corresponding effect upon the churches of New England.
 Country life in New England will not regain it's former standing until this great milk industry Is put upon a new and sound basis. It is the one industry for which the New England soil is suited It's restoration would mean the retaining by the Church of a constituency of Self-supporting and contented industrial farm workers, It Is time, as the Boston Chamber of Commerce insists, for producer, car. Tier, dealer and consumer 10 lay aside their animosities and get together to make the dairy industry success.
 The Church, which stands ideally for COG operation of every sort, ought to make it's influence felt at this point. It ought not to be slower than d busi- ness organization like the'C Chamber of Commerce 10 perceive the moral is- suessat stake. should join hands with puolic-spirited men who are just now spending time and money with out thought of reward to themselves in heiuing to clear up situation which