The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-15
Illinois Milk Producers AS
ISOLATION On Trial in
i Chicago
STATES ATTORNEY
MAKES STATEMENT
Says Association Fixed Prices, With
held Milk from Certain Dealers and
Forced Farmers to Become Members
of Organization.

CHICAGO, Oct l5.-Milk prices in
Chicago were practically controlled by
the general milk board of the Illinois
Milk Producers association at the time
an indictment was brought against its
eight officers charging them with CON
spiracy to fix prices it was charged
by nicholas Michaels, assistant
state s attorney, in his opening
statement to the jury here, in his plea
for conviction of the officials.
The Milk Producers association, the
prosecuting attorney SAYS has 81 di-
| reetors, but 10 of this number consti-
tute a quorum, so that six members
practically control the affairs of the as
ISOLATION.
Describing the methods alleged to
| have been used i'll price fixing, the
counsel for the state said that each To-
cal ASSOCIATION decides upon price
that 1T will sell milk for and sends a
delegate to general convention Here
| the various reports are gone over and
an average price determined upon
This was done, he said, in the fall of
1916 and the price determined upon
| from October l to March 81 On Sep
TENDER p, 1917 another meeting was
| held, and a price of 1912 hundred
pounds was fixed by the association.
| The state s attorney alleged that an
agreement was made by the association
that its dealers would not sell to any
dealer who did not buy all of his milk
from the members of the association
In cases where any member had tc
withhold milk on account of this sit
uation the member should keep an ac.
fcount of it and submit it to the gen
eral milk board. The milk board would
then levy an assessment on the other
members to make good the loss.
| \ strike and refusal to deliver milk
| to Chicago in 1915 was resorted to by
the association. Roads were picketed
! farmers were turned back with then
milk, or their milk was overturned, the
states attorney charged, and through
| threats they We're compelled to join the
association, although they were willing
TO deliver milk to companies witl
whom they had contracted at lower
figure than the price of Sl.55 asked by
the association at that time
The association again, on SeptembeI
$, 1916, held a meeting and fixed /;
price of 81 per 100 pounds. All deal
ers were notified of this price, tn,
prosecuting attorney said and mem
hers of the association were instructed
to insist upon this figure, and if nee
esSary to call another strike. TIL,
state would introduce evidence that tn
| general milk board sent out commu
| nication which told of the success il
1915. In this communication it wa
stated that 90 plants in Chicago wer
being closed by action of the associa
tion in refusing to deliver milk
The strike in 1915 succeeded accord
ing to the states attorney. and al
dealers were forced to pay Sl.55 a hun
dred pounds. During this time on ac
count of the methods used, he charged
thousands of farmers were forced t,
join and the membership of the associ
alton was trebled. The state s attor
ncy further charged that the produc
ers association later on organized
milk producers cooperative marketin.
company and forced the membership
into it. This company then determine,
the price of milk in the Chicago mar
ket. In 1917, he further charged, an
other attempt was made to force tn
price of milk up, and strike wa
threatened. The food administrator
took the matter in hand and a pric
was finally established which was low
er than the price asked by the produc
ers association. The jury began hear
ing evidence in the case Monday morn
ing.