The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-23

milk shortage was caused by the refusal of the dairymen to ship milk until the owners of over 100000 cows had their full demands accepted not as individuals but as an organization in control of the greater part of New York's milk supply On this point we invite the public to observe the at- titude of the parties in the proceeding before Referee Dyknan, and to draw their own conclu- sions from such observation. As evider.ce that there is conspiracy among the milk dealers ot New York, Commissioner Dillon makes quite point that these dealers practically all of the pasterrzing plants available for this district and therefore the producers must patronize them or forego the New York market. It will doubtless impress many as not unusual that all of the milk dealers have equipped themselves with pasteuriz- ing plantsin view of the regulations of the Board of Health on that subject though it may come shock to some that most if not all, of the deal CTS likewise own milk wagons, horses, milk bot ties and other paraphernalia necessary to their business, and what is still more sinister, very few people outside of the milk business have any of these things in quantities sufficient to supply satisfactorily New York's milk requirements.
 Having mentioned the prejudice against the "middlenan" without attempting to distinguish between the middlenan who renders necessary service at fair profit and the middleman who renders no service or exacts an exorbitant profit and having mentioned the Milk Trust" bogy, we would now ask consideration of the more serious aspects of the situation. a
 First is milk distributed as cheaply in New York as possible, having regard for quality and service? This involves two main points as far as the distributor is concerned-costs and profits, Ever since we have been in business we have been subject to the keenest competition and in spite of all our efforts our costs have constantly increased, and to a greater extent than the ad vances in the retail selling price, with the result that there has been gradual reduction in profits from this branch of our business We will be glad to receive and adopt any reasonable sug gestion that will cut down our costs but most suggestions made thus far involve trade agree ments or understandings with our competitors which are not allowed under existing Anti Trust / laws We have already published our profits for the year ended June 30 1916. We briefly repeat this staternent-one-q quarter of one cent upon each quart of milk handled during that year; or, put if another way, return of about per cent. on the gross business done; or put it third way, about 5 per cent. on the cash investment in this branch of the businessa In other words, if our stockholders had had this investment, for exam pie, in Anglo-French bonds, they could have avoided the risk which is incident to any com mercial enterprise, and particularly in the case of business which handles pershable food product, and still have been better off. We also repeat the figures showing what becomes of the difference between our average selling price per quart and the price paid the dairyman. These figures have been certified to by Haskins & Sells, Certified Public Accountants: v On all the milk purchased by our Farm Products
 and od o pae s ad asa %
 cream or in the form of butter or cheese,
 realized an average selling price per quart of
 OSO3
 COST:
 Paid for Milk .osea
 handling selling such milk during said period were
 FFastoPy Fss;s%,y Expense Sd2s Sd2s
 Selling Delivery Expense o2o1
 General Expense OOO9