New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-22
Milk Dealers
Plan to Reduce
Equipment
Say Dairymen's Demands
Will Close Stations and
Lay of Men

The big milk dealers Of New YORK
City yesterday laid plans for closing
milk stations and cutting down equip
ment in Anticipation Of loss in trade
a, the result of the sharp increase IN
price demanded by the dairymen serV-
ing New York City.
Daniel S. Horton, secretary Of the
Sheffield Farms-Slawson Decker Com
panv. said his firm would shut down
ten or fifteen stations October !. The
Borden company announced its inten-
ton Of closing twenty creameries.
Both companies stated that many men
would be laid off and wagons tied up.
It is believed that the smaller milk
companies will do likewise.
MIX Trust Accused
The threat to close the stations drew
forth sharp statement from the
Dairymens League, whose officials
claim control Of more than 30 per cent
Of the milk production in the distrlc;
serving New York City. The league
charged in its statements that the
milk Trust" planned to shut its sta
tions in order 20 reduce the supply OF
milk here, thus depriying the farmer
Of facilities for selling his milk and
forcing him to dispose Of his cows for
beef.
"The decrease of the supply of milk
will again be used by the dealers as an
excuse for increasing the price to the
consumer in the city" the Dairymen's
League states. I'VE urge the state and
Federal authorities 20 seize all recelv-
ing stations in the country that the
milk trust closes and permit Us to
operate them. We can pay the owners
a fair rental for such plants, and by
operating them, can deliver milk IN
the city al less price than the public
iT now paying
In answer, !. Elkin Nathans, secre-
tary of the New York Milk Conference
Board, Inc, charged that the increase
in price won by the farmers last year
had boosted milk production to such
an extent that il now exceeds the de-
mand.
Albert Manning, secretary Of the
Dairymen's League. yesterday sent out
notice Of the new price demand 70 the
'caIcrs. lie said that several milk
dealers had already signed contracts
sor'October at the new terms.
Price Increase October
The increase in price demanded by
the farmers. to take effect October l.,
amounts to about 2 cents a quart. A
second increase November | will ad-
vance the price z cent more. New
York consumers are now paying l2l2
cents quart for Grade B. pasteurized,
and l3i2 10 IA cents for Grade A, pas
teurizcd. Unless the milk dealers
should cut their profits and pay the
higher rate 10 the farmers, without
/ charging the consumer m proportion,
New York milk consumers will have 90
pay II cents q quart for Grade milk
the Hrst of next month and 10 to 10 2
cent. for Grade A. And that rate will
last only a month.
4 wear ago Grade B milk sold in New
York for cents a quart and Grade A
for II cents.
+ I've arc buying more milk now than
we can USE said Mr.. Horton yester-
day. people cannot dVOrd 10 buF inc
milk. When the price goes up m Octo-
Der more customers will drop OF. II
this keeps up much longer we'll all
have to 90 out Of business, and New
York will go dry so far as milk IS con
crrned."
/ Mr.. Manning, Of the Dsirymen's
League, explained that the farmers
were Just about breaking even, II one
considered that on every farm in the
country all members Of the family put