Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-04
.AGRIClJLTURIST SAYS
HILkSIAYS HIGH
Dr.. A +. Woods igures Cost As
63.3S Cents Per Gallon
SMALL CoMFOK ! 10 CONSUMER
No hope For Drop Ii Price ef H.ilk
Report Suggests More Eco
nomic Use.

The high cost of milk that has been
agitating the minds, not to say irri-
tating the finances of consumers. es-
peeially in families where there are
babies requiring milk. is up TO stay,
according to the agricuiturist who
has made scientific investigation and
submitted his report
The Stale Council OF Defense yes
terday made public the report Of DR..
A. r Woods, president of the Mary
land State College Of Agriculture,
upon the fair cost of milk to the con-
sumer The report gives no comfort
20 the consumer who has suffered an
increase in retail prices in the last
Is months from . cents per quart TO
is cents in Annapolis, and in Balti-
more it is i3 cents per quart, and CON
sumers kick at that
DR.. Woods calculates the total OF
production. transportation and distri-
button costs for the week between No
vember 26 and December ., which was
taken as the period for investigation,
at 63.SS cents per gallon That is for
the milk which comes to Baltimore.
Il IS the price which the consumer
would pay if the retail price were
such as to cover, according TO the re-
port, the average cost of production,
the average cost OF transportation
and the average cost Of distribution
for the period The price which is
paid now by the consumer is 52 cents
per gallon 13 cents per quart or 71s
cents per pint. Taken by gallon the
consumer now is paying 11.3S cents
less per gallon than the price which
Dr. Woods figures would cover ali
costs.
Makes suggestions.
He makes a number of suggestions
as to ways of lowering the cost OF
milk, but those affecting the produc-
ers seem to be long-range affairs. He
thinks the production per COW Should
be increased and to that end advocates
the multiplication of cow-testing as
sociations and pure-bred bull asso-
Citations. the feeding of balanced ra-
tions and so on.
As to lowering the costs Of distri-
button, his proposals seem to be more
immediate in their possibilities.
He says the great cost to the dis
tributor through the wastage of bot
ties should be largely eliminated and
some system should be worked out
by which the customer who is careful
Of the bottles should be protected from
general costs due to other custom
ers' carelessness Further, he sug-
gests that { e elimination Of duplicat-
ing routes would lower costs. and
says "the distribution OF milk in cities
would seem to be a public utility,
based upon zone monopoly" He thinks
licensing of distributors would in
sure public control over the busi-
ness" But he concludes with the
statement that "a more exhaustive in
quiry needs to be made before final
determination can be made upon this
point
No Hope OF Relief Apparent.
Thus. DR.. Woods apparently holds
out no hope Of practical relief at an
early date His report states that it
was realized that the period taken for
investigation was abnormal for the
purpose Of investigating costs, and.
therefore. that the figures cannot be
applied TO any other season. But the
report also states that the conditions
Affecting the dairy industry are high
ly critical" that the high costs of la
bar and materials have made it inn
possible for the dairymen to produce
at the old figures, and that it is i'm
portant for the public to keep in
mind that the high prices paid now for
grains, cattle. hogs and other live
stock furnish a strong inducement
for the farmer to give up the labori-
Gus dairy business. and engage in the
easier field of grain and meat produc-
ton
And Dr. Woods goes on to say that
the prime consideration at this mo-
ment is not the cost Of milk. or the
price Of milk. but the supply Of milk
An adequate supply of milk must be
maintained at any price because it is
the one food product that is essential
to the nutrition OF children" And a
bi. later he says: THE public must
realizs the necessity for the increas-
ed cost Of milk. just as they have real
fha1 fTa ir7c~aoro1 cost ~ ot1,or y,-oJ