New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-26
Borden Official Says Anti
Trust Act Bars Co.
operation.

Representatives Of practically all
the large and small milk distributors
in the city appeared at the City Hall
yesterday under subpoena by the
Wicks legislative committee, which is
investigating the dairy industry in
the state. The committee held a short
session and then adjourned, to sit at
Cooperstown August 20.
Some of the big milk dealers gave
their views on the recent rise in the
price Of milk. Many were asked to
submit statements to the comm 'ttee.
Senator Charles w. Wicks. of Oneida,
chairman Of the committee, announced
the investigation would be continued
in this city in October.
Henry L. Hallock, ce-president of
the Borden Condensed Milk Company,
advanced the theory that the Donnelly
antitrust law was the barrier 10 the
solution of the milk situation in this
city. If community OF interest
could be established among the pro-
Queer, the distributor and the con-
sumer, he said, the farmer would get
a better price for the product, the mid
dleman would make a fair profit, and
the consumer would get his milk cheap
err. This, however, could not be
brought about in the face OF the anti
trust law, he declared IL savored Of a
combination to fix prices. Mr.. Hallock
recalled that members OF the Milk Tx
change in this city had been indicted
under the Donnelly act
Dealers Throw Books Open.
At the opening Of the hearing the
fifty dealers present assured Senator
Wicks that the accountant of the COM
mttee was at liberty at any time TO
look over their books. The chairman
pointed out that the result of the in
vestigation upstate had shown that
the farmers ought TO get more for their
milk. He said 25 per cent OF the
farmers in the state who produced milk
were poverty stricken and their farms
were in a deplorable condition.
Twenty-Five per cent of the farmers
were breaking even. only because rem
bers of the family contributed labor
without remuneration, Wicks ,aid
The rest were making little money
with their blooded cattle, selling their
stock cows and calves, with the dairy
line as a side issue.
"The dealers will have to forego
some profit on milk" said Senator
Wicks, "or kill the goose that lays
the golden egg"
Most of the dealers seemed to agree
the farmer should get more for his
milk, but could suggest no way to bring
that about except to increase the price
to the consumer. Members of the COM
mittee declared that the farmer con-
tended that when milk was raised a
cent a quart he received only one
quarter Of a cent more, and the dis
tributer took the other threefourths.
In answer 20 questions by George w.
Ward. of Little Falls, counsel to the
committee, and by its members. Mr.
Hallock and other dealers would not
say that they could give the producer
more than the one-quarter cent on the
raise of one cent a quart TO the con-
sumer
The Borden Company and some
others have recently raised the price
of pints from five to six cents, while
quarts remain at the old price OF nine
cents.
Opposes Five-Cent Milk.
Edgar Shoemaker, an independent
dealer. said the dealers got ten cents
a quart when he started selling milk
in this city. He declared that the keen
connection in the business had made
it Improbable and driven many deal
ers out of il. In his opinion the five
cent milk should be put out of bust
ness, because the people in New York
are not poor and they don't want
skinned milk"
During the discussion by the vari-
Gus dealers it was brought out that
the average price paid for milk in this
city was between six and seven cents,
and that the prices paid for the bottled
milk al ten and eleven cents represent
ed only a very small proportion Of
the daily consumption One OF the big
gest items Of expense 70 the dealers
was the breakage OF bottles, It was
said. and If each individual consumer
was forced 70 pay for his wastage the
cost OF milk TO the consumer could be
reduced.
Some Of the larger distributors rep
resented al the hearing besides the
Borden Company were; the Sheffield
Farm -Slawson Decker Co. the AleXan-
der Campbell Milk Co., the Federal
State Creamery Co, the High Ground
Dairy Co.. the Cook Mix and Cream
Co. the Empire State Dairy Co, the