South Bend news-times., 1917-08-17
LET'S BE FAIR.

EDITOR News-Times.
Being reader OF your most VALE
liable paper for number of years.
have read with much interest the
articles pertaining To The produc-
tion and retailing or milk In our
locality From ali appearances
these articles were written by re-
taiIers who know great deal about
larmins and never lived ON a farm.
Being a farmer and Eulk pro-
ducer 70. number of years. ! wish
to express my ideas concerning the
producers side OF tho question.
suppose the consumer has become
wearied. concerning the controversy
between the producer and the re-
taller
a week ago certain unsigned
article written by "a retailer figured
his depreciation ON his equipment
"a horse and WaCon-at s. per day.
What should farmer hsure his
depreciation 3t Who has several
thousand dollars invested I'm equip
ment2
About 10 days ago the majority
of retailers held a meeting and prob
ably for the sake OF charity agreed
unanimously TO give the farmer an
increase of cents per gallon. This
was done before the producer had
even asked for an advance. but on
the same occasion the retailer raised
the price of Mr.. Consumer from .
10 II cents per quart. a raise Of
cents per gallon. Does this look 10
.ou, Mr.. Consumer. as the retailers
are cutting the high cost OF living in
your favor as was advertised on "A
quarter page ad?
Probably becoming ashamed they
then dropped 10 10 cents per quart,
only a raise of cents per gallon
for the retailer, thinking this justi-
fable because they had raised us
cents per gallon
We. the majority at least, are not
trying TO soar the price Of milk.
supply and demand, as a rule. fixes
prices. but as conditions exist at
present concerning the high cost Of
feeds. dry weather and no pasture.
expensive help. with which most of
YOU are aware. say 25-cent
milk is as low as il can he produced
without any profit for ones own la
bor
We were also accused of not feed
ing high priced feeds. for the reason
that some samples Of milk fell be
low the required standard. The
writer must know a great deal about
the machinery Of a cow II he thinks
that YOU can make a 4 per cent COW
give per cent butterfat by feed
ing.
Recently milk ordinance was
passed by the common council Of the
city Of South Bend. June 25. 1917.
/ say the ordinance is all right.
Most farmers have no objections TO
the ordinance. Why? Because the
majority have their premises and
barns meeting these requirements.
We have gone 10 considerable ex-
pense TO meet these requirements.
Who has been the knockers? This
question needs no reply. Why Be
cause then. some OF the retailers
could not drive - and 20 or more
miles from South Bend and gather
milk from districts that do not come
under the regulations. as IS being
done at present No wonder the
bacteria count as pu ublished in to
dav's paper showed 800 600 for pas
teurized milk. Raw milk samples
taken showed as low as 10000 bac-
terra. The latter was taken from
small dealers who procured their
milk near home and from producers
who had a license 10 sell milk.
Much more could he said in re-
CARDS 10 this question but I wish
10 ask this simple question. Does
il look reasonable for few OF the
retailers 10 tell the producer what
our milk costs us per gallon and al