South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-03
PRODUCERS DENY
BOYCOTT IS ON
Claim They Are Willing to Sell
to Anyone Providing Their
Price is Met.

malls and counter denials were
hurled back and forth yesterday
from both camps in the milk price
war with 4. J. Rogers. manager Of
the south Bend Sanitary Milk Co,
the central figure County Agent
John :. Bordner took up the cudsel
for the farmers.
In the first place. Bordrtr laughed
AT the report that a federal investi-
cation was about 20 be made into
an alleged com bine TO raise prices.
Bordrer cOntended that the Mix
Producers association here is entire
ly without the pale Of the jurisdic-
ton Of the interstate commerce
commission inasmuch as the pro-
ducers are not a corporate BODY,
but simply a cooperative assOcia-
ton. Re said he had seen lawyer
on that point who told him he
doubted If /. Ert Slack would med
die In the affair. Furthermore,
Bordner asserted that there is no
combine nor any boycott. Sifted
down 20 brass tacks il is this: If
the distributors don want TO pay
the price OF 20 cents a gallon. as
producers are not going 10 boycott
them.
Rogers. thus far. is the only one
who has complained Of being boy
cntted.
No Milk over state Line.
Bordner also stated that he could
see no opportunity for an investiga-
ton by the interstate commerce
commission, inasmuch as no milk
is being shipped over any state line.
1T seems somebody has got the
idea that the state line runs through
South Benz said Bornder last
night.
The story sprung by Rogers
Monday that one Ct his haulers had
been approached by an agent OF the
producers in an effort 10 get him
10 dump his milk in a ditch in order
10 cut off Rogers supply constituted
another OF the denials by the pro-
ducers. It was termed as mere fab
ricatiOn.
Rogers Claims Seven More Join.
Rogers said Tuesday night that
seven more producers, members of
the association. had agreed 10 sup
ply the dairy with milk al the rate
of 70 cents per gallon.
Asked for the names of these
men, Rogers said that ne did not
care TO give them out as the men
were proving loyal To him and he
cid not care TO get them into any
trouble with the producers.
Rogers also said that only about
$50 gallons Of his milk from produc-
ers in the county failed 10 arrive
Tuesday morning whereas nearly
400 gallons failed to put in an APP
pearance Monday morning.
Rogers was asked il the rumOr
was true that he had made the sus
eestion to the producers that they
raise the price and he said, When
there was a milk shortage last fall.
I went 10 several OF the producers
and asked them What the trouble
was They told me that they were
no: getting enough for their milk 10
pay for their feed and the cattle
were not getting the food they
should have. Then / suggested
sliding scale OF prices. ranging from
eight 10 10 cents. They turned this
down and now demand a scale with
only two cents difference"
Cites Chicago Scale.
Chicago and other cities have
scale OF $1.55. $50 and S1.65 per
hundred pounds. or u IL gallons
and my suggestion was "a similar
scale. Then we were paying pro-
dueers 1 5 cents per gallon and sell
ug the milk for 80 cents Now we
are paying them five cents more and
md selling il for only four cents
more"
Rogers said that ne has seven
haulers bringing milk 10 the dairy
and that all of them are carrying
heir regular loads. one of them
bringing in an extra load Tuesday
morning. He said that they are
constantly taking on new producers.
According TO Mr.. Bordner the pro
iucers OF the county are holding
heir milk for % cents a gallon I'm
winter and Is cents a gallon in
summers They are not boycotting
any firm or any individual. but are
-eady TO sell the milk when their
price is met. Otherwise. accord
ng 10 Mr.. Bordne-. they will re-
use 20 sell
The stand take ~ the farmers
vas explained 10y Mr. 30 diner The
producers while demanding 20 cents
a gallon for six months and Is cents
'or six months vii secure only
IS IL cents a gallon for their prod
iuct at the farm. The man who
collects and delivers the milk TO
he local distributing stations is
paid two and a half cents for mis-
work. He seldom collects more
han 200 gallons day. which
would give him IS for the days
work.
Brings Down Revenue
This payment brings down the
producers revenue 20 Il l-2 cents a
sallon. Figures compiled by state
ow testers as well as the tester
'or the local county association
show. that even the best milk pro-
iucer requires about Is cents a gal
on. for food. The average COW will
'ost about D. cents a gallon. There
are numerous COWS I'm this county
which are not even averae,e and they