Evening star., 1916-10-04
milk conference
BRINGS NO RELIEF
few York Distributors Not Ac-
ceptant of Concession by
Dairymen's League.
REJECT OFFER TO BUY
DIRECT FROM FARMERS
Proposition of Commissioner Dillon
on Suggestion of Mayor Mitchell.
b Antitrust Laws Feared.

NEW YORK. October IA con-
ference today between Mayor Mitchell
and representatives of the New York
milk distributing companies in an ef-
fort to bring about settlement Of the
! differences between the companies and
the Dairymens League over the price
of milk failed Of result, according to
an unofficial announcement after the
meeting adjourned.
Il The announcement was made by
George W. Alger, one Of the counsel
for the companies, who said they had
voted ito have nothing to do with the
league" 1t was understood prior to
ithe meeting that the mayor would place
Before the distributors the proposition
THAT they pay the price demanded by
the farmers for their product, the
farmers, as a concession, waving rec
oenition of the Dairymens League.
Is Mayor in Conferences.
/ The mayor. after the meeting with
/ the distributors, went into conference
with Jacob Brill, head of the league,
l.and Commissioner Dillon of the state
department of foods and markets. In
| the interim between the two confer
ences State Attorney General Wood
I bury, who has been asked by the dis-
tributers to investigate the activities
of the Dairymen's League, called on the
mayor.
Commissioner Dillon offered to waive
! a recognition of the Dairymen's League
and permit distributors to make in
!, dividual contracts with the farmers.
Mr.. Dillon insisted. however. that the
distributors pay the price demanded
by the farmers-4.67 cents quart for
milk containing 3.5 per cent of butter
tat.
was obtained through the mediation of
Mayor Mitchell Heretofore the farmers
have insisted that distributors could
buy only through the agency OF Mr..
! Dillon. >as representative OF their league.
Submitted to Distributors.
The mayor submitted this proposition
to the three big distributing companies
in this city toay. Some officials of these
companies said it would be violation
of the antitrust law to make price
agreement such as proposed. and would
be a restraint Of competition. The dis
trict attorney declared that the ais-
tributers need not fear the apphcaeion
Of the antitrust law in this case
The mayors conference was ATTENDED
by officiais and counsel Of the Shemeia
Farms Company, Borden's Condensed
MIX Company, the Mutual-McDermott
Company, Tietjen Brothers. Inc. the
standard Dairy Company and the r. F.
stevens Company. Health Commissioner
Emerson and District Attorney Swami
also were present
Commissioner Dillon said today tnat
dealers were not getting more than %
per cent of their supplies from the
New York milk she'd" but that milk
was being obtained from new sources
and the supply probably would be IN
Creased
Price Increases.
The Diamond Dairy Company,
rrooklyn concern, announced an in
crease of one cent pint and one cent
= .ouart to consumers today. because
Of the rise in the price of every article
xe require to market it"
I Meanwhile the city Is receiving only
about ope-hah it's normal supply and me
rhortaee is approaching a famine sfase
MIX dealers asserted today that they
woI,ld be able to increase their dtstfiou-
tion by receipt of milk from other 0Sn
the usual sources Those directing me
erht OF the farmers claimed that not more
man 25 to 30 per cent Of the regular sup
ply was being received
( Farmers in all the dairy sections OF New
York state and northern New Jersey con-
tinue to turn their milk into butter or
cheese or to dump alongside the roads
milk that dairymen attempted to take to
stations for delivery in this city