New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-22

First as to some side issues which invariably
crop up in times like the recent period OF stress
and which becloud the main issues. AS one OF
the largest dealers, we are made the victim OF u'e
popular dislike visited the "middleman. In
the future we ask the fair-minded newspaper edtor
and the fairninded man in the street to make some
distinction between the middleman who has invested
no money or very little in his business, who makes
no contribution to legitimate enterprise with which,
more or less parasite, he IS connected and whose
only reason for existence his ability to stand be-
tween producer and consumer for his personal bene-
fit and the middleman who like our Company, mas
an $11 100000 cash investment in the Eastern
branch of its fluid milk business alone, and which, IN
This particular branch employs thousands of men
and women with an aggregate yearly payroll OF
about Sd, 500, 900, and which employs scores or
veterinaries and inspectors to guard the health OF
its customers and which deals with perhable food
product under the strict regulations of the Health
Department from the moment 1t is received from
the dai1ymen at upward Of 100 different bottiing
plants and receiving stations throughout New York
and adjoining states until it is delivered fit food
for the people Of this city and its envrons We have
heard of no substitute for this kind of middeman
that offers any hope Of betering the existing method
of milk collection, care and distribution short OF
State or Municipal ownership. The State or City
would be the only competitor with whom could
be merely an item that would go to swell the tax
budget But if the State City takes this step it
will have to take the next step also and go INTO the
business of producing milk well. Otherwise 1t
NAV find itself in the position unhapphy occu-
pied by the dealers during the recent milk strike. Ii
the people want this solution they will have It, 1t
will not be the first time private rights and owner
ship, ACQUIRED and encouraged with public approval,
have been annued for the good of the community
as whole but before radical action OF this kind Is
attempted it would be well to know what, If any,
are the evils in the present system, and II evils are
found whether humiliation of an existing industry
is necessary to correct them and whether the sug-
gested substitute will really operate to the advantage
of the community whole.
Is the present method of milk distribution ineffi-
Gent and uneconomical, either absolutely or reia-
lively, as compared with any substitute method that
can lawfully be devised? If the present method
cannot stand this test when fairly made, it will suf
fer the fate and rightly so, of hand labor, for
ample, when put in competition with machinery.
We believe that no food product Is handled so d.
rectly efficiently and cheapy milk, and, further,
we believe that under existing laws against combna
tons no substitute method be devised that will
offer any hope of actual Improvement to the COM
nunity as a whole. The great incentive to economy
and efficiency that is found in the competition be-
tween $50 milk distributors each fighting the other
for the favor of the public to service, quality and
price, would be lost when the State or the City
became not an imaginary Trust" but actual
monopoly.
Second, as one of the largest distributors,
come in for our full share of the opprobrium that is
popularly supposed 20 attach to Trust" AS
matter of fact If there better foundation for
this charge an immediate advantage would accrue
TO both producer and distributor in the economies
OF lessened costs and increased volume of business
conducted by the larger units Government regula
ton and continued competition among few big
the producer and consumer. If any such combna-
ton wants our fluid milk business at a cost of the
cash we have invested in it, will be glad to retire
from this branch of our business. However, in the
face of existing laws and perhaps of public senti-
ment, a combination of dealers is not practicable,
and we will therefore meet this so-called Trust
charge by saying that welcome the opportunity of
having it thoroughly Investigated so far our Com
pany is concerned in the proceedings pending
before Referee Dykman by the Wickes Com
mttee in any other inquiry that may be instituted.
torney- General for reasons which undoubtedly APP
pear TO him to be sound has elected to investigate
first the Trust charge against the distributors, al
though the proceeding originally instigaed a
result of charge that the Dairymen's League was
the guilty party, and despite the fact that in the
papers prepared by the Attorney General it does
not appear that any made Trust" charge
against the dealers. Moreover, from the newspaper
accounts, a casual observer would undoubtedly gain