The sun., 1917-09-22
'DAIRYMEN URGE
SEIZING OF MILK
TRUST DEPOFS
State League Officials Dis
turbed by Threat to Han
dicap Farmers.
PUBLIC MARKET REMEDY
Borden Company's Plan to
Close Creameries Laid to
Decreased Demand.
PUBLIC MARKET REMEDY

close CreamerieS Laid to
Decreased Demand,
officers Of the New York Dairymen's
League are greatly disturbed over the
proposal Of milk distributors to shut
down some of the milk receiving stations
In the country. thus leaving the farm
ers Of those particular localities with
out facilities for shipping milk to the
city.
They are especially aggrieved at Bor-
denis Farm Products Company. which
has announced its decision to close down
twenty of its 223 creameries on October
1, with the possibility of closing more
later. A falling off in the demand for
sumer, is said to be the impeding reason
for temporarily abandoning the plants.
The companies are likely to assert that
production at such points has decreased.
The league yesterday issued a state
ment urging the state and Federal au-
thorities to seize all the receiving sta
tions In the country that the milk
trust closes up permit the league to op-
crate them and deliver milk in the city
lat less price than the public pays
now"
IF the city will cooperate with us in
establishing a public milk market the
statement continued. I'VE can together
defeat the trust and supply milk 10 the
people at a reasonable price"
j. J. Dillon Sees Opportunity.
III the Borden Company is closing
some of its receiving stations in various
sections" John ]. Dillon, State Commits
sioner OF Foods and Markets, said last
night. "the Dairymens League should
establish receiving plants in those sec
tions. ship the milk to this city, sell II
through stores and demonstrate an eco.
nomical distribution of milk in New
York. have been urging this plan or
the league for 4 long time"
Because r. d. Cooper. president Of the
Dairymens League. was quoted as say.
ing that New York is in the hands OF
the milk trust" and that "the New York
Conference Board is nothing short OF a
milk octopus. with its tentacles on the
throats of the consumers" l. Elkin
Nathans. secretary Of the board. gave
out yesterday a statement, saying Has
trust ever been prosecuted or con-
vcted for exerting its efforts to keer
| the price of commodity within the
reach Of consumers? That is just what
the New York MIX Conference Board Is
undertaking to-day. Up to the present
no one has appeared to champion the
cause of the consumers except the dis
| tributers."
The New York Milk Conference Board
is composed of milk distributors. cheese
and butter manufacturers and others
who buy direct from the dairymen.
| Says Responsibility Is DOdged.
Continuing, Mr. Nathans said "Neithe,
the national, State or city governments
nor such organizations as the New Sori
| Milk Committee, have seen ft to assume
responsibility In protecting the consumer
against the demands OF the Dairymen'
League for much higher prices.
1T Is true prices to the consumer
have not yet been increased. and If the.
are it will be by action of the indvidua
I, distributors, as this matter is no
handled through the agency of the New
York Milk Conference Board. But sew
eral Of our members have assured Mr.
they were willing. pending his investiga
, tion, to take a business risk on all othe
| costs of operation except the cost o
milk itself, and not advance the price Il
the consumer unless the cost OF milk T.
them was increased.
They claimed the right to one-half
cent a quart as reasonable, but hav,
been able to earn about one-quarter o
a cent. 1t is therefore manifest the in
creases now demanded by the Dairy
mems League could not be absorbed b.
the distributor. The natural inference
Is that IL the cost to the distributor is t.
be increased ! u cents per quart in Octo
her and 2'cents in November. It must b
passed on to the consumer.
Slaughter of Cows Denied.
According to the report of the Ne,
York Food supply Commission. of whic
Mr.. Cooper, president OF the Dairymen'
League, is member, the number c
dairy cows in the State has heretofor
been constant for about foIty-seve
years, but on April "a, 1917. there wa
On increase OF cara dairy cows owe
1915. Further. the New York dealer
are to-day purchasing more milk tina
the market can absorb and have decline
to take on about 10000 cans now gon
into by-products. This proves conciu
siyely that the increased prices secure
by the farmers since October l Of las
year have encouraged production to tn
point where It greatly exceeds the dc
mani. Further increases TO the cn
, sumer at this time will react on th
ffarmer through decreased consumption
Mr.. Coopers statement that dair
. COWS are being killed off at the rate c
81 per cent. per annum comes with sue
surprise telcphoned Com missioner {
Agriculture Wilson at Albany. NJ
Wilson states he knows of no investigs
. tion TO support these figures and that h
stands by the last census az published
? the New York Food Supply Commii
. sion's report above referred to. The us,
. fulness of dairy COW. Is about ak
seven years, SO that about 16 per cen
l of the cows are killed of normally eac
wear, but these are replaced by other
3 either home bred or shipped in, and
. late there have been very heavy shil
I ments from Wisconsin and other Yves
: ern points.
9 "The prices now demanded by Il
, Dairymen's League aSe equivalent
90 NJ cents per pound for butter fat ar
2 sS cents per pound for cheese. Butter
: now wholesaling at about As cents an
cheese at about 26c. An enormol
quantity Of milk Is going into these b.
products. Is there any reason why
costs materially more to produce mi
s for the children of New York city tina
: for butter factoriesT'