Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-11
WILL BREAK MILK
MEMS FEDERATION
Delegates Are Told That New
England Milk Producers AS
ISOLATION Will Exterminate
Any Proposed Organization Of
Northern Vermont Farmers

A threat to put proposed federation
of the creameries of northern Vermont
out of business If it were formed and
opposed the New England Milk Producers
association. was carried to a meeting
of delegates from dozen creameries
who were in session at Morrill, hall I'm
connection with the extension service
/ conference, being held here, by Frank
| W. Clark, ex-presdent of the New Eng
land MIX Producers association and now
prominent worker in its behalf Mr.
/ clark went into the meeting although
/ ne was not delegate and asked permits
sion to speak. This was granted him
and after depicting the benefits to be
derived from afiliation with his associa-
ton he answered the, query of Carl c.
] Fletcher Of Shelburne as to what the
! Dig organization would do in case such a
| federation was formed by saving that
the New England Milk Producers asso-
citation would fight it to the last ditch
and would put it out Of business
Northern Vermont is a very imnortan.
contributor to the milk supply of New
York and Boston and the product OF the
creamerles which it is proposed to unite
reaches about 100000 yearly The farm
ers own their own creameries and for
the purpose of standardiz.ng dairy prod
ucts, buying and marketing their goods
| collectively. a federation has been pro-
posed and the movement has gained in
! popularity to the extent that a meeting
Of delegates from the creameries waa
called to draw up bylaws and consti-
tuition to be presented to the stock
holders in the different creameries at the
January meetings. The delegates were
engaged in this work when Mr. Clark
/ interrupted them.
! Vermont has made great progress in
the creamery line of late with $4,000
creamery at Shelburne in process of con-
struction and other new creameries att
Milton and Swanton. These creamerea
are interested in the movement, as well
as more than dozen more. including the
| Addison County Milk Producers associa-
ton, the South Hero Grand Isle. Mount
Mansfield. Gold Brook. Wolcott and
Franklin County Cooperative creameries.
the St Adams Cooperative Dairy COM
pany, Richmond Farmers Cooperative
association, Farmers United Dairy
| PRODUCTS company and others
The proposed name of the federation
Ia the Vermont Dairymen's Federation
! Inc" 1t will be organized with 100000
. capital in 1000 shares Of 800 each No
corporation shall hold more than ten
per cent Of the stock and each of the
! creameries shall have one member on the
| board of directors. no matter what its
size. The profits will he divided among
| the creameries and thence to the patrons
! With an organization of such size It IA
! intended TO do buying to better sd-
! vantage and to endeavor to make cuts
from the producer tn the consumer In
, order to save much expense.
| This movement on the part OF the Yer
! mont farmers has evidently worried the
| larger organization. according to the
| farmers interested. who have received
advices from various sources to keen
out Of such a proposition. The New
| England MIX Producers association has
been especially keen to have them Join
the Turner Center system" which
the Turner Center system" which many
Rhode Island There has been a dis
position on the part of the Vermonters
to run their own affairs and not merge
| their interests with the great orsaniza-
ton. and the latest development in this
process has been the threat of Mr.. Clark
who SAYS that the great New England
| MIX Producers association will put their
federation out of business, once it Ia
formed. Mr., Clsrl, did not go into the
meeting in any official capacity, but It
is thought that because of his promi-
hence In the affairs of the New England
association, some one was behind him In
what he said
The creamery men. after listening to
Mr.. Clark, went ahead with their prep
arations to form the federation They
feel that with more than 1900 farmers
with them, handling approximately 1900
COWS, that they are large enough to
handle their own affairs. While nothing
has been decided to what course they
will pursue, and they may be glad to
market their products through the New
England or any other organization, they
want the privilege Of hunting up their
own markets and conducting the cream
cries which they built themselves. There
is possibility that they might become
affiliated in some manner with producers
in northern New York.
Mr.. Clark's threat did not come until
after he had talked for some time on the
benefits derived from belonging to the
New England Milk Producers associa-
ton The delegates were anxious to get
to their own work and interrupted him
in an effort to get him to hurry along
his talk. Mr.. Fletchers question, with
those Of others. elected the response
which has set the creamery men up in
! arms.
Mr.. Clark was interviewed yesterday
"i'erHooH py FREE FreSS man regard
ing the situation and he said that the
attitude TO be taken by the New Eng
land Milk Producers association de-
pended on what action this federation
took. He had spent two of the best
years in his life in working with the
New England milk producers and was
not going to stand idly by and see the
fruits of his labor toru down. 1.-THE big
organization has now about 20,0O0 MEM
bers and the idea that any little body
can do business against 1t Is ridiculous;
II n man got up in a convention of the
producers and proposed that any picayune
body form an organization OF its own. I
doubt If he would get out of the meeting
with an arm or leg on him." said Mr.
Clark, According TO his statements
the larger organization would not have
trouble long with any organization which
sought to cut into it.