The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1916-10-04
DAIRYMEN FIGHT
T0SAVE CONSUMER,
DILLON INSISTS
City in Grasp of a Monopoly
of Two or Three Big
Concerns.
JUST PRICE IS ASKED"
Commissioner Declares The
Law of Supply and Demand
Has Had No Chance.
Bu Sorhie irene Loeb.

These are the reasons that Com
missioner Dillon gives for the pres
'ut milk upbcaval.
For forty years farmers have
had no voice In the settling OF
milk prices.
For forty years there has been
little or no competition TO rcgu-
late lower prices OF milk.
Labor. feed and cost Of living
have increased for the farmer.
There Is no reason why people
should pay more than 3 cents per
quart right now for milk for
which they are paying 10 cents.
The difference between ~
cents paid TO the farmer and .
and 10 cents paid by the CON
sumer Is too great. according to
the present system.
II better price were paid 10
the farmers the induccment to
farmers TO produce milk would
be greater In farms near New
York.
As II IL at present. producing
milk II proving Improbable and
II " necessary to go longer dis
tances 10 secure II.
The present fight IL for the es-
tabllshment OF basic figure
s2.o5 for ~ quarts 600 pounds).
At present they are receiving
$50 for ~ quarts GOO pounds).
Farmers arc at present able to
bring milk to the city to sell at
cents n quart.
Seven thousand cans come In
daily direct from tho farmer
through his agency. 10 II were
possible to enlarge this system
the consumer would pay less.
The dealer has II bis way com
Ing and going as TO the consumer
and the farmer. He allows the
farmer 10 cents extra for II
quarts 600 pounds) for making
better milk and charges the con-
sumer ~ cents for the same
thing.
Law or SUPPLY AND osMANy
HAS NO CHANCE.
In the present controversy m
are with the farmer a
well as the consumer" said Commis
sioner John j. Dillon. as I spoke I
him concerning the present milk NJ
heaval.
ut doesn't take a mathematical
to see that the price paid to n
farmer, approximately ~ cents, Is to
small and the price charged for mil
70 and 10 cents) is too great. and tn
consumer has to pay In the end.
I'VE hear a lot OF talk about tn
law Of supply and demand Hut whe
the supply Is controlled with sue
force as II has been for the past for.
years In the casS OF milk. then th
law Of supply and demand has N
chance to work. Before the presen
crisis we tried every means to tai
prices with tho big dealers. but tho
refused even to discuss them.
The farmer has had nothing TO sa
about tho price OF his milk. Th
farmer Is anxious TO secure 20 tn
consumer q lower price for milk. II
kpows more milk viii thus be con
sumed; but he has been pracsicall
held by the throat by the dealers VIII
set the prices. The highest price n
receives now Ia IA cents. In sprir
and summer he only gets cents
quart
This country 10 the only one
~ the world whore q commodity
like milk 90 controlled that 4
10 . phytieal irnpossibility TO
sreuss any eompstition. All the
machinery Tor distribution, pas
tsvrisina. Ac- 10 90 controlled
by the two or three big dealers
that u 10 . difficult matter to
create machinery that will arouse
the nsosssary competition.
"Thsrsfers, the farmers feel
that, even 10 per cent. Of the
production 10 freed and delivered
direct to the consumer. this
way Of fixing prices will create q
eompstition and the law Of sup
ply and demand VIII have its op-
Pertunity. Ths farmer will never
lot up until this 10 accomplished.
There are about 1000 cans
being brought In this way to. day
for which the consumer pays 7
cents, az against 10 cents charged
by dealers.
ONLY REMEDY LIES IN FARM
ERS' ORGANIZATION.