South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-02
REFUSES To PAY
NEW MILK PRICE
South Bend Sanitary Com
pany and Producers to
Stage Merry Battle.

War between the milk dealers of
the city and the producers Of the
county with the producers centering
their attack upon one man and the
latter fghting back tooth and nail
has been declared. according to in
formation obtained Monday night.
For three weeks since the produc-
ers announced their raise in price
from Il 10 20 cents per gallon there
has been friction between the two
factions This was brought 70
head Monday morning when the
South Bend Sanitary Milk Co. con-
trolled by A. J. and Frank Rogers.
refused 10 pay more than 19 cents
per gallon for their milk.
Since the increase was announced
a. j. Rogers says that he has been
paying the price asked but is in
such "A position now that he does
not need 10 get his milk from the
local producers.
Ask Haulcr TO Dump Milk.
Rogers is the only firm that the
producers are known TO have cut
off, every other distributor agreeing
10 pay the 20 cent price. Serious
charges against the Producers as
sOciation are made by \. j. Rogers.
who accuses them OF Offering one
OF his haulers. who brings the milk
from the farmers TO the dairy on
8. Main st, 20 cents for every gal
Ion OF milk on his wagon Monday
morning if he wou'! o. mp il out
on the ground and 30 0ack home
with the empty cans. Rogers says
the man was stopped on the Michi-
gan st. road by one OF the officials
OF the Producers association. lie
says also that another OF the Of
fcials of the rival organization has
said that the producers will break
him if they have TO dump their
milk i'm the cutters.
Four hundred gallons of milk
which are brought 10 the dairy by
men from Michigan and from the
county failed to arrive Monday
morning but Monday night Rogers
took a newspaper man to the dairy
and showed him nearly 1900 gal
Ions of milk bottled and ready for
the trade Nine hundred gallons
are used by the concern daily.
Rogers Ready To Fight.
one hauler drove up to the dairy
Monday morning and when Rogers
only offered him 10 cents per gallon
drove away. The other haulers and
producers failed TO show up at all.
Rogers told a reporter Monday night
that he was able TO fight as long
as the producers cared to fight and
that he could secure three carloads
of milk every day from a milk brok-
er in Chicago, a Mr.. Fox, who was
i'm town saturday in company with
J. J. Jackson. a representative of
the Kee * Chapel Dairy CO. of
Chicago, H.. who was in conference
with a committee of the producers
and later talked with Rogers.
In connection with the visit of
Mr.. Jackson. about which nothing
ducers of their meetings Saturday.
Rogers accuses the producers OF at
tempting 10 create a foreign market
for their milk so that they could
refuse to sell to local distributors.
JacksOn's firm has bottling fac
tories scattered throughout the
country around Chicago and accord
ing TO the story. Jackson is said to
have told Rogers, the local produc-
ers wanted a plant established here.
Then they could sell their milk di-
rect 10 Chicago.
Higher Than Chicago Price.
Jackson asked them how much
they wanted for their milk and
when they told him 20 cents per gal
lon. he replied that that was more
than Chicago had ever paid for milk
and he could not meet their prop
osition Then he talked with Rog-
ers and assured him that the brok-
er could get him all the milk he
could use for 20 cents and that he
would not have 10 depend upon the
producers here. Fox controls the
output Of several large Chicago
diaries.
Rogers says that Schlosser Bros.
who control dairies over Indiana. Il
linOis and Ohio can furnish him
with milk. Just as good as the local
milk and give it TO him cheaper than
the county producers.
Farmers near here say that they
must secure 90 cents for their milk
in order 20 make any kind of a
profit on il and say that that price
is low when Toledo and Cleveland
men are securing % and % cents
per gallon. Rogers answers this by
saying that there is a shortage OF
milk now. but that the tide will turn
and then the dairy men will have
their innings.
Rogers is the only man who is
bucking the producers at present.
but he limited that more would join
when they saw the success of his
fight. He says that four or five pro
ducers have voluntarily offered TO
come in and sign contracts to sup
ply him with milk at 10 cents dur
ing the winter and Il cents during
the summer.
Say No Contracts signed.
Producers have been making
every effort TO secure contracts with
the distributors for their supply of
milk at the rate OF 20 and IS cents
per gallon. but according 10 one OF