The Washington times., 1916-09-10

Washington faces a critical situa-
ton in regard to its milk supply.
Thsrs - no doubt about II.
% nearly as can be stated, some
thing like $1,000 quarts of milk 10
consumed In. this city daily. Prao-
tioally all Of II comes from about
$500 producers in Maryland and vir-
sinia. contiguous to the city.
The producers are paid an average
Of Is cents per gallon In summer. and
- cents in winter; the the summer
season being five months and the
winter seven. This milk. according
to the information Of the producers.
IL retailed At an average price of
cents per quart or 80 cents the gallon.
Time was when milk could be pro-
duced at . fair profit at present
Wholesale prices. But that was when
every element that went into produce
ton Of the milk was far cheaper
than now.
There have been tremendous advan-
oes in the cost of all things necessary
to make milk. The dairyman either
must raise these things. or buy them.
II he raiess them and. by feeding
them to his cows. gets less out OF
them in the price Of his milk than
he could get by selling them direct
ly. he 10 losing. II he buys them,
turns them into milk, and finds the
milk worth less than its producing
cost, he 10 losin.
This IL Happening.
This IL exactly what the dairymen
say 10 happening to them. They are
more determined than ever before to
ret their case understood by the public.
and to exact q higher price from tho
milk dealers. because their situation ID
worse than ever.
The thing that makes the situation
most grave for the consumers OF milk.
v that the farmer has attractive fields
for his effort outside the milk business:
two or three splendid wheat and corn
crops in succession and wheat and
corn are bringing prices that consti-
tute . temptation to the dairyman to
far the most combining department Of
Agricultural production In this part OF
the world-and 60 into the more pron-
table and easy occupation OF growing
This temptation Is emphasized by the
fact that not only wheat and corn are
highly remunerative at present. but
hogs are commanding fancy pTtc ..,.r,
MARKET. at price. that at topped even the
high points touched during the civil
war: and the civil war prices, It must
BE- remembered. were the more minated
precisted currency. Taking this into
consideration. hogs were never In civil
war time worth nearly so much as now.
The nda m this 5e5Itory wasSh
therefore. faces the most impressive ar
ray Of Inducements to do the easier
thing, which he suspects would also be
the more profitable: quit dairying en-
The only thing that has prevented a
greater number Of dairymen from clos
Ing out their herds Ia the difficulty OF
disposing Of a considerable equipment ,I.IeT,
heavy loss.
But even this Is not 30 great an OBJ
stacle as formerly, because the price
Of dairy cows Is high and herds can be
put the owner in funds with which to
finance any change OF business he may
contemplate.
Alarming Situation Shown.
Tho convention of dairymen which
was held at the Raleigh yesterday. de-
veloped the fact that there is a really
alarming situation. Washington has
had incipient milk famines in the past
when bad pastures due to drought
caused insufficient shipments to thii
market. Today, there Is almost nc
source from which milk could be
brought here. There are shortages al
almost all the great city markets
caused by exactly the same conditions
that prevailed here.
AT New York the producers recently
threatened to quit shipping unless the,
were paid living price for their milk
Investigation by Food Commissions
Dillon, a State officer, resulted in hi'
declaration that the producers mus
get a cent more per quart IL they were
to be justified in continuing to produce
milk
The commissioner. moreover, declared
that proper distribution system In the
city would effect such economies as Il
enable the payment OF that additions
cent per quart without increasing thu
consumers price.
-freouentIy about two-third OF it-i'
represented. in New York. In tho cost
Of Transportation and distribution.
The producers have always contende'
that the middlemen got too much on
OF II: whether because their Drofits wer'
unreasonable. or because their metnod
were unduly expensive. has not bee'
commissioner Dillon has Expressed
the opinion that competition In dis
tribution has most to do with 1t; hal
n dozen milk wagons driving over tn
Ties explain the wide margin betwee
producer and consumer.
He has announced that he VIII cs
tablish q distribution system OF MS oWn
conducted by and for the public interest
n necessary to give the milk produce