New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-05
MASKED RAIDERS
SEIZE N. J. MILK
Pickets Empty Cans Into
ROadS-Cut Off New
York Delivery.

Newton, n. j., Oct. Might riders
and day riders have so completely DOM
mated the situation in this, the richest
dairy district Of the state, that not a
single can Of milk was sent TO New
York fro mthe big pasteurizing plants
near here to-day.
Twelve pickets of the Dairymen's
League defed sheriff and his deputy,
pulled them from truck load Of milk
and emptied the entire stock OF one
plant into the road near here this
morning. Another squad of masked
men entered the Keystone Dairy Corn
pany's plant, at Warbasse, in daylight,
drove away the guards and emptied all
the milk being prepared for shipment.
No matter what statements repre-
sentatives of the big distributing con-
Germs in New York may be making to-
night. the farmers know little milk is
reaching the city, except such stock as
may be hauled from new centres in
Maine or as far north as Montreal.
Their present hope is this supply may
be cut off by the Health Department
because of inability to inspect plants
so far from the metropolis.
Pickets Halt Sheriff.
Sheriff Frank Wilson of Sussex
County. was confronted with a dilemma
shortly before sunrise this morning
when truck load of milk on which
he and his deputy were riding as
guardians was surrounded by FIVE
automobile loads of pickets. The
Sheriff, who is a milk producer and
in complete sympathy with the strik-
ing farmers, argued his duty COM
PEELED him to protect the milk. He
tapped his revolver repeatedly, but his
friends refused to take the implied
threat seriously. After more than an
hours argument the leader Of the
picket crew made the Sheriff an offer.
We'll submit to arrest after We get
through here" they said.
The Sheriff and his deputy, unable
to win by diplomacy, stood aside while
the cans were emptied into the road.
Then they watched the pickets climb
into their machines and 90 to the
Court House here, where they were
locked up on charges Of highway rob-
berry.
Each man was held under $1,000
bonds pending & hearing by the De-
cember grand jury, after which ne
resumed his picket duties where, II
milk appeared, he was prepared 70
dump it into the road.
Louis Tolins, representing the New
York Health Department, contributed
TO the work of the farmers by closing
the plant of the Schwartzwood Dairy
Company, at Schwartzwood, n. j., to
New York shipments. The company
had agreed to pay the higher price for
milk. and was planning TO send large
TO the city when the in
spector swooped down upon it in the
morning, and after finding what ne said
were numerous violations of New York
forbade shipment.
Farmers throughout this portion Of
the milk producing country insist that
they will accept no compromise IN the
matter of prices. They are armed with
many figures TO prove they cannot pro-
duce milk at the rates now paid by the
corporations.
Loss to Farmers Shown.
Figures compiled by a committee
headed by Farm Bureau Agent Milli-
man, at Middletown, show that the cost
Of producing milk in New York State
farms last year was 400 cents a quart.
This is exactly cent more than the
average price paid the farmers for milk
for that period.
In spite of this seeming loss by the
milk producers, practically every COW
owner in this part of the state pos
sesses an automobile and is spending
his present leisure riding about the
stae on picket duty or pleasure. With
a few exceptions, they say their fnan-
cial standing will permit them to carry
on the present war for two or three
weeks longer.
Bankers with whom the milk farmers
their business say they owe
no money. The farmers
answer this by saying this is due 10
their ability to get practically all OF
their labor free. Wives and children
who act as helpers get nothing in re-
turn for their efforts. the farmers say,
whereas a businesslike management Of
the farm would show labor cost more
than the actual price paid for the
product