Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-30
Edtm's Letter Box
Continued from Paae s.

10 In d condition to attend to the pro-
ductivspart Of it. He is tired and lies
down rest. after getting home. until
niikiH line comes. The truth Of It 10
| that n milkmen do much farming.
Can yu fail to appreciate what it would
add z tie production OF grain and other
| farmpr,ducts il these men had their
| time yat into farming. directing oper.
ationesnd working themselves when it'll
| is imDssible to get help and especially
to flltie place he takes when away
chasiE around the streets Of Augusta
witht 'ew customers scattered all over
the it,, going over the same streets
| thata dozen other milkmen have gone
over he same morning. With all tire
hardyork that has to be put into TINS
worthy farmers there isn't a milkm IN
in augusta making any real money.
The IRE just growing old in the mar
| mes.
ISL there any remedy for such a con-
| ditN: l think there is. ] am inter-
| estdin Augustus success and her ci.i-
zes- While outside of the precincts Of
tn city, my buying and selling is all
| doe there, my associations are ther,.
l he a selfish reason for wanting to
! hep the city. Let US reason together.
| Su,pse Augusta had one big modern
mix station where the milk and cream
firm all the surrounding territory was
davered in bulk? Some one man i'll 4
ndaaborhood could arrange to gather up
the milk and deliver it at very small
e:pnse, as it would be simply a matter
q havirg it at the station and then CO.
i,ghome. The L. A. & W. could put IN
q nix car and take it along the route.
Us station could put on some Ford
tricks and supply all the patrons in the
az in very brief time. This could De
ooe towards night instead of the early
nrning, then patrons would nave
cram for their coffee and cereal in TIE
lmrning. and the farmer wouldn't have
to work nights as now. An extra
ahount of milk could be left Saturday
night for Sunday and Monday morning
iStead of the producer putting in %
Sundays out of year.
The situation now is that milkmen are
( oten short of milk at other times th,y
| hive a surplus. They cannot establish
auniformity as customers cannot rega-
Lite their needs. All of the milk pro-
7ced by farmers outside the regular Ia
iveries could be sent here. Now they
bend anywhere they can and get any
Pld price for It. Individual butter maxi
Ing is out Of date. The whole milk from
all these sources could be sold as whole
milk. The surplus could be converted
INTO cream and sweet skinned milk
which finds ready market here and in
larger centers. All sour cream could
be made into butter.
One Of the modern inventions in dairy
ing is a clarifier. This is similar 20 A
cream separator only it separates III
the dirt and foreign particles from the
milk, making it pure and preventing It's
souring readily. Very few individuals
could afford to pay the price for one Of
these or the time to do it. Cream to he
shipped or held for a long time should
be pasteurized. No farmer can do this.
One of the most important things to DO
in the interest Of producer and consumer
is greater publicity on the consumption
of dairy products.
very few people appreciate the value
OF milk and cream as a luxury and real
food They are paying fabulous prices
for food Of far less value to them. They
deny themselves of milk and cream in
preference to anything else. robbing
their pocket book and health. Go 20 the
soda fountains for a glass of soda to-
day. What is your experience You
get the usual amount Of syrup (Which Is
scarce and high) and just a SCATTERING
OF cream the one thing that makes food
palatable. One product comes through
the sugar trust and the other from our
own farmers. Any old thing for cereal
or desert is made very relishable by the
free use of rich cream.
Now. centralized operation Of the
milk business looks feasible enough,
doesn't it? 1t ought to- How are You
going 70 do it? Get few fellows to-
gether that have the money that they
want to realize 25Te profit and a positl. I,
for few good salaried fellows for the
consumer and producer to pay? On, no.
We are getting away from this eort Of
thing. Every farmer could take fran
600 to $1,000 in stock. They might rot
have the cash on top. What then,-x.ve
their note for it. This note could be en-
dorsed by the corporation and should Be
able to discount it at any bank. This
note to be paid to the corporation by The
giver of the note in instauments to be
taken out of their milk check each
month. The City Of Augusta ought to
take 5000 or $4,000 worth Of stock. Or
isn't Official Augusta able to do any
thing for her people except extract a
for every 800 worth OF property they
have. A little more business injected
into your city government won't hur,
anybody. The Augusta Real Estate A.
ISOLATION could we'll afford TO lend every
aid possible to such an enterprise. II
something isn't done pretty soo1. Oh ...s
line of constructive work, they can take
this from me, they will pay mighty dear
very soon and there won't be any dizi-
dend coming their way.
Such a corporation as would aAvc-
cate should issue only preferred stock II
So with no power to issue bonds. This
government doesn't expect any bank or
individual to rob their essential indus
tries or their future prospects to buy
Liberty Bonds with. They favor legiti-
mate development rather than destruc-
ton. 1t is the idle capital and man
power that 10 commanded to work. and
why shouldn't they? want to mako
just suggestion relative to prices Ct
products. The producers Of milk should
realize lOc per quart for good milk dc.