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

+ IDubn long IgptNEIttcu sLdCS
ment. S. w. Smith, manager or thu
Honolulu Dairymen's Association, thi!
afternoon is presenting the reasons o
the organization for increasing IL!
milk prices, at an investigation of thu
increase which Is being conducted b!
the territorial food commission.
II is doubtful whether the investiga
ton viii be concluded this afternoon
All local dairymen have been invited Il
attend ana explain the necessity FOL
advancing the price OF milk at thi:
time. At the conclusion OF the inves
tigation the commission will make
recommendation and take action. Il
necessary, to have them fulfilled
Among other things, tine commission
will seek to determine whether tho
milknien are making an Unfair profit
In part, Mr.. Smiths statement to the
commission is as follows: az. .
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 a
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 a benefit to the consumer as well
az the producer.
Met Public Demands
.-The association has more.than kept
hpace with the demands OF the public
and of the City Board OF Health by
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
1907 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 Commissioner 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
item of expense TO the
association. We do not believe the
consuming public would care to go
back 10 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 Ior treating milk
seven years ago at an expense OF
about $1,000. Also 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.
siye 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-
zation,. a system which is being adop-
ted all over the United States. and is
the one thoroughly effective system
Tor 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
snameled holding watts and automatic
illing and Gaping machine installed
It an expense of about $4,000. We have
installed an automatic bottle
washer which enables US to wash bot
les In stronger and hotter soda
solution than was possible with hand
washing machines.
Now we would consider the most
serious crestion that has confronted
he association and that confronts
most every .silk company in the states
which looks out for a city milk sup
oiy. The problem Is even more acute
lere than on the mainland because
We are entirely cut on from the mar
tets of the world. That problem is
he over-supply of milk which must be
,arried at times. We must carry this
,ver-suppIy due to the fact that we
must look out for the demands for
extra milk which are made upon us
ind due to the fact that milk is
lush at certain seasons and we must
AXE it. in order to be able to com
nand the milk at other seasons when
he milk supply is short; due also
o the fact that at certain times OF
he year a considerable number of
milk cows are removed suddenly when
he Territory condemns them for tn.
,erculosis. Such is the case now since
within the last month more than one
hundred cows have been condemned
or tuberculosis. Now it has been
to make this extra sup
'ly of milk into butter at distinct
oss to the association. II takes IL
uarts of milk with butter fat of 3.6eo
o make one pound of butter. Figur-
ne the milk at SC per quart it costs
IS 96c to make pound of butter,
fhich we must sell in competition with
california butter which sells from 40
o SOC per pound. Figuring Califor.
ia butter at 40c a pound we lose $50