Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-09-15
Capital MIX Supply Menaced BY
Rising Cost OF Production.
Washington Times of Sunday.

So nearly as can be stated, something
like $4,000 quarts of milk is consumed in
this city daily. Practically all of it comes
from about 1900 producers in Maryland
and Virginia, contiguous to the city.
The producers are paid an average of
Is cents per gallon in summer, and % cents
in winter; the summer season being five
months and the winter seven. This milk,
according to the information of the produc-
ers. is retailed at an average price of 8
cents per quart or SO cents the gallon.
Time was when milk could be produced
at fair profit at present wholesale prices.
But that was when every element that
went into production Of the milk was far
cheaper than now.
There have been tremendous advances
in the cost of all things necessary to make
milk. The dairyman either must raise
these things, or buy them. II he raises
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 directly,
he is losing. II he buys them. turns them
into milk. and finds the milk worth less
than its producing cost, he is losing.
This is exactly what the dairymen say
is happening to them. They are more de-
termined than ever before to get their case
understood by the public. and to exact
higher price from the milk dealers, because
their situation is worse than ever.
The thing that makes the situation most
Grave for the consumers Of milk, is that
the farmer has attractive fields for his
effort outside the milk business. This i'm
mediate region has produced two or three
splendid wheat and corn crops in success
sion and wheat and corn are bringing prices
that constitute temptation to the dairy
man to leave the drudgery Of his business
by far the most combining department of
agricultural production In this part Of the
woodland 60 into the more profitable and
easy occupation Of growing wheat and
corn.
This temptation is emphasized by the
ioSt thoe ho' ohiy Whodt anu COtu are
highly remunerative at present. but hogs
are commanding fancy prices.
They recently sold in Western markets
at prices that topped even the high points
touched during the civil war; and the civil
war prices. it must be remembered were
the more inflated becaused they had to be
paid in deprecated currency. Taking this
into consideration. hogs were never in civil
war time worth nearly so much as now.
The farmer in this territory, which is a
splendid hog-producine region. therefore,
faces the most impressive array of induce
ments to do the easier thing. which he
suspects would also be the more profitable
quit dairying entirely and 60 to general
farming.
The only thing that has prevented
greater number Of dairymen from closing
out their herds is the difficulty of dispos-
ing Of considerable equipment especially
adapted to dairyine, without heavy loss.
But even this is not so great an obstacle
as formerly because the price of dairy
cows is high and herds can be closed out
at prices which Immediately put the owner
in funds with which to finance any change
OF business he may contemplate.
The convention Of dairymen which was
held at the Raleigh yesterday. developed
the fact that there is a really alarming
situation. Washington has had incipient
milk famines in the past. when bad pas
lures due 10 drought caused insufficient
shipments to this market Today. there
is almost no source from which milk could
be brought here. There are shortages at
almost all the great city markets. caused
by exactly the same conditions that pre-
vailed here.
At New York the producers recently
threatened to quit shipping unless they
were paid living price for their milk In
vestigation by Food Commissioner Dillon,
a State officer. resulted in his declaration
that the producers must get 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 to enable
payment Of that additional cent per quart
without increasing the consumers price.
More than half the consumers cost
frequently about two thirds of it's repre-
sented. In New York. in the costs of trans
portation and distribution.
The producers have always cOntended
that the middlemen Got too much out Of
it; whether because their profits were I'M
reasonable, or because their methods were
unduly expensive. has not been very clear
Commissioner Dillon has expressed the
opinion that competition in distribution
has most to do with it half dozen milk
wagons driving over the same route to
leave pint and quart bottles explains the
wide margin between producer and con-
sumner.
He has announced that he will establish
distribution system Of his own. conducted
by and for the public interest. if necessary
TO give the mix producer a tair price, ana
yet to save the consumer from further in
crease.
The farmer with a dairy herd need not
sell it. if he doesn't choose to. He can
separate his milk. turn the butter fats into
butter. use the skim milk with grains, pas
ture, and ensilaee for producing meat
stock. and sell this at the present inviting
prices.
A constantly increasing proportion Of
farmers have in recent years found this
change desirable. and the inducement to
a rapid change to this type of farming is
stronger now than ever before. simply be-
cause while the price Of milk doesn't ad-
vance, that Of hogs and beef stock does.
The producers in Washinston's territory
do not intend to do anything precipitate.
| ...oh n. aoind IN a asfrika They are de-