Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-10-31
investigation of Increased Cost
of Product to Consumer Be-
gun BY Food Board

Through Q long typewriter state
ment, s. w. Smith, manager OF the
Honolulu Dairymen's Association, this
afternoon Is presenting the reasons Of
the organization for increasing its
milk prices. at an investigation Of the
increase which Is being conducted by
the territorial food commission.
It is doubtful whether the inyestiga.
ton win be concluded this afternoon.
All local dairymen have been invited TO
attend and explain the necessity for
advancing the price Of milk at this
time. AT the conclusion Of the inyes-
LEGATION the commission win make
recommendations and take action, II
necessary, to have them fulfilled.
Among other things. the commission
will seek to determine whether the
milkrnen are making an unfair profit.
In part, Mr.. Smiths statement to the
commission is as follows:
"The Honolulu Dairymen's Associ-
alton is not dividend paying con-
Germ. Prior to june 80, 1914, divi-
dend of one-half of one per cent was
paid yearly. The association is main
tanned for the benefit of the producer.
BY cooperating and maintaining q
single. central plant the cost OF treat
ing and distributing the milk is cut
to the minimum, but OF course rising
and falling according to the market
conditions of things that enter into
operating the plant and distributing
the milk The association has al
ways aimed to furnish the consumer
with pure milk and cream, delivered
to almost all parts of Honolulu twice
daily, at as low a figure as possible.
The cooperation of the dairymen In
operating single central plant has
been benefit to the consumer as well
as the producer.
Met Public Demands
The association has more than kept
apace with the demands Of the public
and of the City Board OF Health by
complying with their requirements and
Installing machinery for treating milk
which would safeguard the consumer.
This has been done with considerable
expense to the association. Prior to-
1897 milk was delivered in cans only.
AS modern methods were introduced
on the mainland the same were taken
up here. Bottle delivery took the.
place of can delivery, the Board Of
Health and Food Commissioners notify
ing us that even the filling of bottles
from cans on the wagons would not
be allowed. The shipment of bottles
to this distant part of the world and
the constant loss and breakage is a
tremendous item of expense to the
association. We do not believe the
consuming public would care to go
back to the old system Of can de-
livery, yet this is one of the most yex-
ing problems that confronts distribu.
tors OF milk.
.The association installed the Gou-
cher electric system for treating milk
seven years ago at an expense OF
about $4,000. Also a sanitary bottle
filler and capper was installed and we
were able to give the people of Homo
lulu milk with very low bacteria count.
The electric system was very expen-
sive to operate. At that time we had
the most improved equipment obtain
able in the United States. Later the
New York Board Of Health after care
full test and close study decided to
adopt the holding system Of pasteuri-I
cation, system which is being adop-
ted all over the United States, and Is
the one thoroughly effective system
for rendering milk safe from possible
disease germs. The association de-
cided to install this system after be-
ing informed by Mr.. A. w. Hansen,
Food Commissioner, that the system
would meet the requirements. The
association now has that system in
operation, having two 400-gallon white
enameled holding watts and automatic
filling and Gaping machine installed
at an expense Of about $4,000. We have
recently installed an automatic bottle
washer which enables Us to wash bot
ties in stronger and hotter soda
solution than was possible with hand
machines.
Now we would consider the most
serious c.1estion that has confronted
the association and that confronts
most every r:ilk company in the states
which looks out for a city milk sup
ply. The problem is even more acute
here than on the mainland because
we are entirely cut of from the mar
kets of the world. That problem is
the over-supply Of milk which must be
Carried at times. We must carry this
over-supply due to the fact that we
must hook out for the demands for
extra milk which are made upon US
and due 80 tbe fact that milk is
flush at GER ain seasons and we must
take it, in order to be able to COM
MAID the milk at other seasons when
LIE milk supply is short; due also
To the fact that al certain times OF
the year l considerable number OF
milk cows are removed ruddenly when
the Territory condemns them for tu-
berculosis. Such is the case now since
within the last month more than one
hundred cows have been condemned
for tuberculosis. Now it has been
to make this extra sup.
ply of milk into butter at distinct
loss to the association. It takes IL
quarts OF milk With butter fat of $3.50
to make one pound Of butter. Figur-
ing the milk at - per quart 1t costs
as 96c to make a pound of butter,
which we must sell In competition with
California butter which sells from 40