Norwich bulletin., 1916-04-01


 resentatiVes of Interstate Commerce
 commission-John Johnson Sent to - Jail from City court-caueus of 2sth
 District Delegates Monday. [
 What was characterized by one who has attended all of the hearings held on the subject in New England as the most interesting, intelligent and eff fective presentation of the milk pro- ducers' side of the so-called leased car system of milk transportation, was held before representatives of the In- terstate Commerce commission in Odd Fellows hall here Friday. There was a notable array of legal talent and at times there was aggressive battling for points in the record and for advan- tages in other phases of tAe case as they came up for discussion.
 Counsel Present.
 The hearing was before Attorney George N. Brown, Washington, D. C., representing the commission. Counsel present included Carl K. Gartner. ex- aminer for the Interstate Commerce Commission; John F. Cusick, repre- senting the Elm Farm Dairy company, company; Assistant Attorney E. c. Seagrave of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, representing the farm CTS of Massachusetts; Herert Knox Smith, Hartford, representing the Con- necticut State grange, the state board of agriculture, Connecticut Dairymen's association; E. C. Morse, Putnam, rep resenting the Windham County Farm CTS association.
 Also present were John F. Orcutt, secretary of the Boston chamber of commerce, W. F. Cole, Boston and Maine railroad: A. B. Smith and Free mont Whitten, the N. Y, N. H. & H. R. R.: George Albree, Concord, Mass, who is making a strenuous fight in his home state for what he terms an open market for milk in Boston: L. H. Hea- ley, secretary of the state board of agriculture: County Agent W. c. Ken nedy, Farmers association. Members of the faculty of the Connecticut Agri- cultural college at Storrs were in att tendance.
 What They Seek to Show.
 Briefly, the milk producers and the organizations allied in favor of the cause are seeking to show that there is no competition in getting their milk into Boston, resulting decrease in herds as the result of poor conditions for marketing milk, the so-called zone system of fixing price, with the price in Boston as the basis and a cent less per can in every zone receding from Boston, no premiums for butter fat and the requirement, if milk is to be ship ped to Boston, of signing contracts to supply the milk at the price fixed by the contractors. What the milk pro- ducers hope to get is what is known as the open car service. the railroad furnishing cars on which any milk producer may forward his milk to the Boston market, finding there his GUS | toner at such price as he may be able to arrange.
 was to be said by all parties repre- scented. Examiner Brown sized the hearing up with an apt resume of the proceedings: It is apparent, he said l that the Boston milk contractors, from what they claim, can't get any more money for the milk they are handling; l the railroad company represents it is | hauling milk at a loss, while the far mer says that it is costing him more tc produce milk than he is selling il l fer; therefore it seems to be up to the commission to arrive at an adequate ] solution, if one can be found.
 Witnesses for Producers.
 George Kirball, Brooklyn. Charles Williams. Danielson. Chester May | Woodstock, L. H. Fealey Woodstock J. F. Hall. Ledyard, Simon Brewster ! Jewett City, Henry DOTrance, Plain | field, were among the witnesses heard | for the producers: also Professors | Marcy, White and Judllirs of the fac. uIty of the Connecticut Agricultura l | eral agreement on the proposition tha | dairying is becoming a less practice( l industry in this section of Connecticut that herds are being reduced and il 1 some few instances disposed of, be | cause the farmers cannot get an ade. Cuate price for their milk. It was als, l generally agreed by these witnesses that dairying is essential to the agri cultural development of this section and that dying out of the industry ha! l a bad effect on the economic condition of this end of the state. Herbert Kno, Smith called the attention of the ex aminer to the fact that whereas east ern Connecticut has one-fourth of tn population of the state, its saving banl accounts in Connecticut and that, witt agriculture playing so prominent {; 1 rart in its occupations. it is vital tha every facility for ettering agriculture occupations be afforded. Making Bos ton the chief outlet for milk, an easil, accessible and open market, would b, 9 great help in this direction, h. claimed.
 Dairying Falling Off.
 As an indication of the decadenc of dairying in Windham county, MT Dorrance stated that 25 years ago ap proXimately 500 cans of milk wer shipped daily from the Plainfield sta tion; now the number has dropped t 800, a heavy percentage of loss. A
 IEe huHlDeT or COWS decreases, ne SalC white bircheS and huckleberry bushe
 increase and there was a suggestion from other closely following testimon,
 that it is becoming more profitable ol some farms to hunt skunks than t
 produce milk an idea that was elabor
 ated upon by Attorney Seagrave.
 Shipping by Carload.
 Mir. Whitten, transportation man fo
 the New Haven road, was examine
 relative to the roads milk rates be
 tween Willimantic. Jewett City, Put nam and Boston. His testimony de 1 veloped little of special interest asid
 from the attempt of Attorney Gard ner of the commission to show that tn difference between the rate for mil shipped in carload lots and milk shin
 ped in lesser quantities was at a great
 CT variance than is the case on tariff , on any other class of shipments, M Whitten quickly explained this by say
 ing that the rates on carload lots wer r too low. which explanation was receiy
 ed with good natured general laugl
 Examiner Brown instructed the a,
 torneys to file briefs.