The sun., 1916-12-14
HORTON BARES WOES
OF The MILKMAN|
Sheffield Co. President Tells
Wicks PrObers Of Bill
Jumpers.
PROFITS SMALL, HE SAYS
Time Will Come When Stores
Will Sell Product and Save
Cost Of Wagons.

Lotion Horton, president os h Shelf
field Farms.S lawson-D Decker Company.
gave the wicks legislative committee
Yesterday much interesting information
out Of the wealth Of his forty-six years
experience as u milkman. Tbs stenog-
rapher's record OF the testimony was
frequently punctusted '(laushter)." The
investigators n Judge George w.
Ward. counsel 10 the committee, agreed
that It was the most Joyous official day
they have had since striking the me
tropolin
Mr.. Horton confded to the committee
that ne had a grievance against those
fashionable folk who rent swell apart
ments for a few months. buy Sheffield
milk and then leave for Palm Beach or
some other place without settling up.
lie didn't think II vas right.
"But I do get after them a little In
the summer time ne said. II tell my
boys to follow them to the grave"
What made IT particularly distressing,
he explained. was the fact that they
enjoy all the privileges that a milk com
pany can give them In the months when
milkmen lose money M do not buy
milk for their city homes during the tin
when the dealer makes money.
Question for Horton.
They say that II you sold milk In
proportion to the prices that you pay
dairymen In the summer and in the win
ter the price TO the would
lie half as much In June as It Ii In De-
cember." said Judge Ward. Nov. Il
that true?'
mo. sir" replied Mr.. Horton.
This proposition is erroneous. then?'
Eyes"
Explain why" said the Judge.
Tn kind OF tired Of explaining even
Why ] live" answered the witness.
But I q you to make It clear q
the public" persisted the counsel.
ID they believe o when you make
II clearg" was the reply.
Mr.. Horton said he calculated tina
his company would EARN three-eighth
OF a cent on every quart OF milk II sold
tut he didn't believe the profit was NOR
than o%ne-Quarter Of a cent. Judge Ware
told him an examination Of the Shelf
feld concerns o showed that the
profit per quart in 1915 was 30.00243.
Best borrower to Survive.
Asked what the ultimate fate Of mill
distributing companies will be In view o.
all the competition. the witness said:
"I'm satisfied hat with the pace which
they are going now that the one whoat
borrowing power Is tho strongest VII
1--we things down."
do you hope to survive!' asket
Judge Ward.
"My health is pretty good yet" Mr.
Horton replied.
"When that time comes will the PEG
pie demand regulation Of the milk In
dustry?'
mo. I don't think 20"
"Why not?''
"oh, they will bc too happy"
Mr.. Horton described conditions o
drivers In the milk industry and declares
some drivers have 10 climb 324 flight
Of stairs a day and on collecting day
the number is doubled. He explained
that the company Is bound by the EN-
ployers' liability act and must pay al
employee II disabled and his widow o.
children II he IL killed.
mo man." he said. "can climb tina
number OF stairs m last moro thai
three years. lie gets var'coso veins
rupture and broken down arches. w
are getting the last drop OF blood GU
Of the men who deliver milk
Drlveto 'NhNrm NbOCA6s
Explaining some Of the things tina
customers expect Of milk ago driver
Mr.. Horton said: MANY people use tn
drivers a alarm clocks. They ask ther
TO deliver milk at a certain time SO the
can knock on their doors and wake ther
up"
Judge Ward referred to tho plan @
John ]. Dillon. Commissioner OF Food
and Markets. to have the State go int
the milk distributing business. n NJ
Horton said:
.'why. I q $4,000 in taxes to II
gamble in my money and use 1t to cut m
throat. Taxes are increasing with a
these rainbow chasing ideas"
The witness declared that twelve mil
companies supplying the Anglo-Swii
and the Nestle milk companies arc tai
ting l31.oo0 quarts Of milk every day or
Nf this market. They evaporate II ar
ship Il 70 South America, Cuba and oths
tropical countries. They are not builc
ing up.an export trade. he said. but al
Just keeping It going into foreign copr
tries 90 they won't lose tho business dul
lug tho war.
Mr.. Horton said he believes the tin
will como when milk will DO sold l
stores. and the cost OF wagons. driver
&c. win be saved. He referred to q mil
company that has 500 Of these stores
Paris
Alexander NJ Altman Of tho HIg
Ground Dairy said that the scarcity {
milk and It's high cost are due to the d,
mand for condensed milk and cheese b
the armies in Europe and the improps
feeding Of dairy herds by farmers VIII
mo AFFORD to pay high prices Il
grain.
Harvey T. Grown. auditor Of the She
field Farms Company. said that tho con
mon stock Of his company had paid !
per cent. In dividends for years and II
preierred stock 6 per cent.
The inquiry will co. thu this mornin,
FEDERAL INQUIRY ON.