Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-07

I growing worse, until there was gen.
eral protest from shippers all over the
eastern states. This led to a hearing
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
| You will remember that this assocta-
ton. year ago, before it had any
knowledge of what other associations
or other states were going to do, voted
to send man to fight for the interests
OF the Maine Dairymen. We chose
Brother Frank S. Adams. believing him
to be better qualified for that job than
any one else. Many others all over
New England joined in the movement
SO that an organization was perfected
and the dairy interests presented Il
solid front before the commission.
which was the means of bringing about
what seems to be a fair and just rate
to all shippers Of milk and cream. 1
will not go into this in detail, as have
asked Brother Adams for report on
the matter.
| Ihs next important event and one in
which every dairyman in Maine was
interested. either directly or indirectly,
was the effort of the New England
I Milk Producers Association to induce
the milk contractors of Boston and
other Massachusetts, cities to give a
price for the farmers milk which
would be in keeping with the present
high cost of grain and farm labor, so
tnat there might be reasonable mar
gin of profit in the dairy business.
by special invitation, Brother Adams
and myself attended the directors
meeting OF the New England Milk Pro-
uucers Association in Boston. when
the demands were formulated, after a
care1ul study and discussion of the
SITUATION, which brought about the
so-called milk strike. The fight was a
iohs ana hard che. Milk contractors
immediately went up one cent a quart
on the price Of their milk to the con-
sumer' but only wanted to give the
farmers one third of that raise in price
ana II the farmer had only kept still
that is about the proportion that he
would nave got-one third against two
thirds to the contractor. But the farm,
er didn't keep still. He had several
things to say and he said them 10
said that in the past few wears with
the steady increase in the nrice ne J.,
4 DOT ana with the increasing demands
| contractors
when required more labor. he was NOT
in'hiiis III the dairy business the per
, centage OF nrofit that he should from,
ne capital invested. He said that the
.os' VI the COW herself had doubled in
1e past lie" years. He said that with
ene present extreme scarcity and high
p..oo " help ana the extremely high
800 VI sraln' CORRESPONDENCE high
81 price Tor dairy products must come
~ was SIMPLY fight for existence
rnanks TO the able generalshin of
nHcnaru Pattee, secretary of the pro.
oucers Association. with President
Eolpy ana a small army of intensely
loyal men In the field, the farmers
Won and there. is not a dairyman in
MAINE so remote that he will NOT rat
me benefit of this contest. We o1,o
eecretary Pattee and the New Fne,and
MIX Producers Association deht 80
sratltude and 1 trust that befor. ~
close this session we will unitedly ~
press that sentiment to them W. Ala
help out little in a financial way &c
you Will see by the report of our tre.s.
urer that authorized him to send so5
to their treasurer. ~-'
| I note with interest that the da,rv-
men who ship milk into Portland are
asking five and one-cents a quart
delivered in Portland. They Should get
it. Everyone present who is producing
milk knows that the margin of profit
will be small at that price. r.
Now, from all this strife and turmoil
over one Of the greatest industries Of
our State, what may we learn? Just
| this: That we need some thing and
| need it bad, and that is organization.
| The reason this need has not been more
apparent in the past Is that Maine has
| been more fortunate than other New
| England states in having corporation
| like the Turner Center Dairy Associa-
! ton to do business with. The Hood or
| Whiting Company have to pay Maine
farmers a fair price because they are
Obliged to meet the Turner Center
price. If you will but compare the
prices these COMPANIES have been pay
| ing Maine farmers during the past 10
years with tho prices they have paid
in sections of Vermont, where they
had no competition, you will recognize
the truth of my statement.
am not throwing bouquets to Mr..
bIdu1OTu nut III justice " iiiIA L WALL
say that consider his method of buy
| ing by paying for the butterfat and the
skim milk separately. and also having
each mans milk or cream sent in his
| own cans so that each mems lot has
| to stand on it's own merit, the fairest
method yet devised by any creamery
company. But while we have, in most
cases no reason for any complaint. yet
I believe that we as farmers and dairy
men should have just as strong an
organization as the Turner Center, the
Whiting of the Hood Company. 1t
would not be my purpose to use such
an organization to antagonize the con-
tractors or creamery companies On
the other hand, it should be used to
bring about a better understanding
between the producer and both the
dealer and the consumer. The pro.
| ducers Of milk and cream supplying
the Turner Center know almost moth
ing as to the cost and methods OF
handling, that cream before it is fairly
placed before the customer in just the
| quality. quantity and at the time that
he wants it.
I believe If we were thoroughly or
ganized 1t would be Of mutual beneht
to have a communicative will say the