Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-02

That immediate municipal regulation of the price of milk is the most prac- teal method of remedying the local situation was the statement made on Friday by John HiE a well known local milk producer. He went on to say that at the present time this is the only way to guarantee the intelligent farmer return for his labor sufficient to keep him on the farm. MT. Hills statement follows:
 I am dairy farmer by vocation and education and thereby feel justified to add my word to the discussion of the price of milk that has lately ap- peared in your columns. My object is to aid the consumer to get the viewpoint of the producer, in order that the consumer may be an aid ra- ther than a hindrance to the producer production. To do this thoroughly would require that the consumer be given comprehensive business un- derstanding of the methods Of milk production. This I do not attempt; but I do realize that a brief descrip- ton of the dairy farmers mental and muscular means of livelihood is fun damentally essential to an apprecia- ton of his utility to society by the consumers of his produces.
 Weather and Market Conditions.
 Dairy farming is an industry that
 
 production. The owner of the capi tai invested is entitled to an interest return in proportion to the risk of loss. Even the most conservative farming is a gamble on the weather and market conditions and for this reason the investor should get at least fifteen per cent. annually. This inter est is one of the factors responsible for the wide variation in the price of milk. The intelligent farmer, oper- ating on business principles, incor- porates- this interest charge in the cost of production along with taxes, insurance, depreciation, etc. This ac- counts for the seeming paradox that the intelligent farmer quotes a higher cost of production than that farmer who, through ignorance, if not philan or not this price below value is the more desirable from an economic viewpoint is a question to be settled later.
 The next item to be considered is that of raw materials or feeds. These are procured in two ways. Firstly; by manipulating land, fertilizer and labor to grow them or, secondly, by buying them. Certainly the farmer who sambles on the former system is entitled to the difference between his cost of growing them and the market price--but-does he get it? If he is an intelligent business farmer he does-that is, he asks for it; but as this raises is selling price he is still further Handicapped for compe titien with his less business-lke neighbor.
 Labor the Keynote.
 I will now consider labor. which item is probably the keynote to the whole cost of milk productions; it is this commodity that to the greatest extent influences the final cost of pro- duction. The total cost of labor is determined by the value and amount of labor employed. It is the wide riation in both value and amount of the labor used that causes the price of milk to range from eight to thir- teen cents per quart Conditions will vary from that farm where the far mer's vie and children take care of the cows and milk utensils as best they can in the few hours not spent in homework or at school to that farm where the entire time of men trained for the scientific care of cows and in the principles of sanitation is spent, in order to make the milk a desirable food. Strange as 1t may seem. the fact is that the farmer who is willing for his family to do this drudGery is the last to show his appreciation of it's value by demanding from society q fair return for it. This keeps down his price and makes it impossible for the business farmer to compete with him.
 With the above description, in mind will now run over the causes that
 
 hers of the Norwich Milk Producers Association to raise the price of mi k to twelve cents per quart.
 The war as everyone knows with drew men and food from the usual channels of production and corsump- tion. and thereby greatly increased their value. To such an extent has this progressed that the dollar the farmer spends today will procure only half the labor and grain that it hou"ht a year aro; ana yet tho con sGmar expects his dollar to buy as much milk as formerly.
 Producers Increased Price.
 Realizing trese conditions the mem hers of the Norwich Milk Producers Association met ord discussed the va rfG"s phases of th0 increased cost of milk production. It was showr that in the last twelve months tiurip 2 which the price of milk increased 12 1-2 per cent. the average cost of the crHirs mostly used (which conetitUt0s ahout 25 per cert. Of tho final costl had ircra"sed sfxty per cent. All v-~ra far13iia~ wit'n tho 1aror sftIa- tin and realized that with the pant irg season On hc~d and with Iabnr threc dollars per day of ten hours. it