Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-02
MILK DEPICTS TO
Be ALTERNATIVE
To LOWER PRICE
states Attorney Thompson says NIa'
ton VIII BE Last Resort 70 Re-
duce Quotation.
SHOULD SELL FOR II CENTS Now

Tur NILk SITUATION.

States Attorney Floyd Th0mp-
son announces ii milk stations are
established the tactical product il
will retail for ~ or II cents
quart.
announcement l. also made by
him thai he believes data VIII
show dealers should he getting hut
n cents quart instead OF 10 II
cents.
states attorney and County
Farm Expert Palmer X, Edgerton
unite 10 prepare figures showing n
cost OF production, collection.
handling and delivery OF milk.
II milk dealers in Rock Island re-
fuse to cooperate with authorities to
reduce the expense Of collection and
distribution Of the product, milk sta
lions will be established and the pro i
duct will be retailed for II or II cents .
a quart instead Of Is cents as at pres I
emit.
This announcement was made today
nv States Attorney Floyd Thompson.
who by virtue Of his office, has taken
40 the fight in behalf OF the consumers
10 provide them with the tactical pro-
\ duct at reasonable figure.
One OF the most startling statements
J Mr.. Thompson made in an interview
with The Argus, was that even under
the present conditions, with the deal
crs bearing unnecessary additional eN-
pense for distribution, the price OF 10
cents a quart is at least one cent high
err than IL should he.
Establishment OF milk stations in
Rock Island is being held as the last
alternative to bring the price of milk
down to the point where both producer
and retailer get just profit and the
public is not compelled 20 pay an eX-
brilliant sum for its milk States At
orney Thompson said.
Under the plan which the county
farm expert Mr.. Edgerton, and myself
are working on. stations would be
established throughout the city, say
one for every 10 or 10 blocks square.
similar TO postal stations. Here the
producer would bring his milk and
here the public would go to get It's sup
ply. the cost of collection and distribu-
ION being held 70 the minimum and
ie public given milk at II or II cents
quart. This could be done we THINK.
II the preliminary investigation we
have conducted is substantiated by a
more thorough one we are to make,
with the dairyman getting the price
'ey ask for milk 30 cents a gallon
rs cents a quart We believe that
cost OF collection and distribution
IN be held down to from four to five
cents n quart In the milk station plan
n other words. the milk station would
the middle man and would be under
direction OF a competent official so that
service would not be impaired"
Eliminate Waste.
I'm the event that dealers do not
comply with requests made OF them C
eliminate certain unnecessary over
head expense. how will you induce thu
producers to refrain from selling q
the dealers? vii not the producer b.
satisfied to sell to the dealers as loni
as he gets his 80 cents a galTon?' tn
states attorney was asked.
"In that event we will have TO asi
he aid of the public TO support tn
milk stations where lower prices vii
prevail Ii the people do this, the deal
ers will be unable to handle their Gus
tomary amounts of milk and the Pre-
ducer will be compelled to find mar
et for his milk elsewhere, which W
Yill have provided in the meantim
with the institution Of these milk sta
lions throughout the city. There is n
doubt In our minds that If the publ
can be assured Of getting milk cheaI
ttHffl 20 IN f4rf rVF
milk stations.
1.-THE public can well understand II
situation. Each of the dealers in Roc
Island sends out wagons to cole
milk. The wagon Of one dealer pass
over the same territory as the wage
OF the others. One dealers truck fo
lows the other Why not elimina
this extra cost? Why do the deale
not cooperate and have only one wa
ON pass over a certain territory. MI,
cost of collection could be eliminat,
through this plan.
1.-THE same is true OF deliver
Wagon after wagon, each OF a differe
dealer, passes over the same sect,
of the city. Hence. unnecessary &C
in distribution. Why could not o
wagon deliver in a specified terrific
and another in another. and so on?
Just Get Fair Profit.
1.-THE dealers have got to come 10
I front In a spirit of cooperation. TIL
have got TO help eliminate this U
necessary overhead expense. II tn
do, they will he able TO sell milk mu
Il cheaper.
1.-THE dealer Is not TO be condemn
4 by any means. think he Ia only g
ting fair profit at present. But
he helps remove some of the waste
money in distribution and collecti
i he will be able TO maintain the sal
profit and place milk in the hands
the consumer at moro reasonal
A figure.
Il "The producers are getting no mt
II than is coming to them The pub
may ask. What is more high now III
n year ago that the producer m
VI raise milk five cents quart in t
n months The producers associat
N is not an organization formed for
M purpose OF raising the price of milk
was formed 20 find out the cost OF p
duction. The truth OF the matter
E& that not until recently have the D
M ducers learned that for a long Il
~ they have been losing money In est
Il fishing the 30 cents a gallon pr
now. they are merely placing the ,
IN duct for sale at a figure which
MI lieve is just"
The dealers and the producers h
not as yet gotten together on
price OF cream. II is understood t
III not all dealers In the city are sell
milk for Is cents. some asking IA
NJ others IL cents a quart