Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-01-03
URGES CHANGES
IN MILK INDUSTRY
Boston Chamber of Commerce
Recommends Adoption of
Business Methods.
INVESTIGATES A LITTLE.
Finds II Costs e1O1.Os Yearly to Mnin-
tain Cow In vt.-Cost OF Producing
Milk Il 1854 Cents q Quart.

Boston. Dec. So.-That radical adjust
ments and changes In tho business opera
lions Of the various branches OF the milk
Industry are imperative, and that the ut.
nest cooperation between producer, deal
er and consumer Is essential to solution
of the milk situation III New England Ia
stated In a special report by the commit
tee on agriculture Of the Boston Chamber
Of Commerce.
ers kept account books to enable them u
ascertain the cost Of producing milk on
their farms. Therefore representatives
were sent to the farms to ascertain this.
Records we're obtaine from $50 herds az
gregating 5000 cows which produced more
than 40,000.oO0 quarts of milk yearly. This
did not include farms producing certified
or other high grades of milk which COM
mand fancy prices.
From these records IL was found that
the cost of maintaining a COW In Maine
was $i94.6s and the cost Of milk per
quart was .0G62 cents; in New Hampshire
tho cost Of maintaining the COW was $l71.4
and the cost Of milk .0567 per quart; In
Vermont maintenance Of the COW cost
$161.N and milk .O594 per quart; in Mass.
achusetts maintenance Of the COW cost
1861 and milk .0769 per quart. while
cost $2o9.66 and the milk .0es2 per quart
The cost Of getting milk to Boston
from the zone 220-A0 miles from this
city at the present date shows the aver.
age cost of milk production in New Enk.
land at .oe19 per quart.
AS q result Of its investigations the
committee recommends to producers:
THAT the farmer should be paid the
average cost at the farm as Of December
81. pluS reasonable proft. and to this
should be added the average freight and
the proper country and can charges to be
| determined. the amount Of which will
ultimately be deducted by the dealer.
THAT contracts should be made fol
periods Of three months.
THAT every effort should be made &c
encourage the farmers Of New England
to keep simple set Of books, in order
that they may know whether their bust.
| ness Is profitable or not and wherein Il
can be made more profitable.
THAT every farmer should be en-
couraged to weigh milk from each COW 81
that cows producing lower than a profit
able milk flow would be eliminated from
the herd as rapidly as possible.
THAT farmers through their associa
ton or community groups establish thei
own delivery system from the farms I,
the railroad shipping stations an,
wherever possible own their own receivin,
stations at the railroads.
III farmers are to be paid fair pric,
FOR their milk. including reasonable profl
consumers have right to expect tina
they shall produce good. clean product.
That farmers should endeavor to brinl
their cows to producing state in a NOR
uniform manner than at the present tim
to avoid loss due to surplus milk, whicl
loss they must ultimately bear"
The committee also says producer
should have some method Of ascertainin
the financial rating Of milk dealers
especially the small ones. and that tn
farmers should through their associa ton
secure ownership Of cans