The Bismarck tribune., 1919-09-23
WITH THE EDITORS
SOME MORE CRIMINAL FARMERS

Seven officials of the Ohio Farmers Co-opera-
tive Milk Co. were indicted August 8 at Cleveland
for conspiracy in restraint of trade. Cleveland
evidently has some of the same broadminded citi
zens that bless Minneapolis with their presence
who brought about the indictment of the officers
of the Twin City Milk Producers. Prof. Oscar Err,
of the dairy department of the Ohio Agricultural
college, told the Cleveland Chamber Of Commerce
exactly where the consumers really STOOD He
said in part:
"The earlier farmers thought only of making
living and the surplus was left to the city folks.
When 80 per cent of the people lived upon the
farm, it was not question of making money so
much as to make good living, but that thing has
gradually changed over.
"Instead of 80 per cent of the people living
on the farm, we have 80 per cent on the farm and
70 per cent are in the city. Therefore, farming
had to be changed from subsistence proposition
into business proposition.
'Twenty or twenty five years ago we had rec
ords of few COWS, just few. We knew that
some of them were giving as high as $4,000 and
Is, 900 pounds Of milk, but the average COW about
that time was running along about 1900 or $500.
To-day the average cow still does not amount
to very much, but she has developed into $500
pound COW. During that time we have developed
COWS in this state that give US 10000 pounds of
milk
''When milk was sold at cents quart, with
COWS producing 2,400 pounds of milk, we fed those
COWS with clover at the rate of $3.50 ton, which
was the prevailing price, 35 cents bushel for
corn, 18 cents bushel for oats. Labor at that
time ranged from $13 to SIG month, and the
hands worked from half f-past three in the morning
until seven at night
"If that cow was still in existence today, and
supplied the present prices for labor and feed,
you and would have to pay "a cents quart for
milk.
"Really, the consuming public, if it would get
this proposition right, ought to be ashamed of it.
SELF to criticize the producing public because they
have given every cent that they have made to the
consuming public. The very fact that they have
developed that COW is patent, and could be so
termed as patent, and they could collect on that
patent, but have they collected? No. They have
given it to the consuming public.
'Seven Of your producers were arrested last
week in your own city. To my mind tis the most
II have no grievance against any one. sim
ply want to maintain and develop the dairy busi-
ness. The acts that have been committed in this
city are going to react upon you
"Already am receiving letters Yesterday we
had placed 1,400 COWS in New Jersey and 760 in
Wyoming out ofths section of the country. Cows
are going to be sold and you folks will pay the
penalty in the higher price of milk, just because
somebody made mistake. The producers are
furious.
1--WE tried to develop the business by making
the fellows produce milk constantly, so that the
city people should not suffer. At all times when
other commodities went up, milk was tagging be-
hind.
$50 we organized the farmers. will have to
admit that, altho have law before me which
says we must not do it. am going to be man
enough to tell you am responsible for it, simply
because didn't want any babies in the city to suf
fer, and wanted you folks to have all the milk
that is necessary at all times.
''We organized these people into large organi-
cations for the purpose Of raising the price to the
cost Of production We know that when the price
goes too high you don't have to tell the public.
They will 60 and buy cows themselves, and do
their own milking. That is the safety valve
If any man says there is trust in the dairy
business, he is fool If there is such trust buy
| your own cow, feed her and milk her. Cows are
cheap, and if no one wants to perform that labor,
/! then he should pay for it,"-Farm Stock & Home.