New-York tribune., 1919-01-08
Dairy League Head
Says Full Inquiry
viii Be " eIcOnled

In letter addressed to The Tribune
yesterday the side of the Dairymen's
League in the milk controversy is pre-
sented by r. D. Cooper, of Little Falls,
N. Y, president of the organization.
The sole object of the league, Mr..
Cooper asserts, is to save the dairy in
dustry of New York State. 1t has
nothing to conceal, and welcomes in
vestigation of situation which. he
AYERS, has been brought about by the
milk Conference combine" in an ef-
fort to defeat the farmers
Mr.. Coopcr's letter in part. reads:
"The Dairymen's League feels that
there is very unfortunate misunder-
standing existing in the public's mind
about the present serious milk situation.
We feel that the aims and ideals for
which the farmers are fighting are not
properly understood. This is unfortu-
nate, not only for the farmers, but es-
pecially for the consumers.
"May | call your attention to the
report Of the joint legislative COM
mittee which was appointed by the
Governor to investigate the whole dairy
situation? This committee was known
as the WIcks Committee, and made its
report to the Legislature February IS,
1917. On page 80 this report says as
follows:
at is undeniable that during the
same period the number of persons
engaged in the production of dairy
products had decreased.
From page 81 of the same report
we quote as follows:
"That the state was and is threat
cned with possible decay of the
dairy industry is apparent No prob
lem of equal Importance confronts
the people of this state, and the prob
lem is more vital one to the in
habltants of our large cities than to
the agricultural communities.
Conditions Called the Same
"ro show that the dairy conditions
IN the country mentioned in this re-
port are still the same, I call YOUR at
tentlon to the agricultural census taken
by the New York State College Of Agri
culture IN cooperation with the State
Education Department in the spring of
1918. This census showed that there
we're $4,000 fewer heifcr calves being
raised in New York State in 1918 than
in 1917, and a similar census in 1917
showed decrease in the number Of
heifer calves being raised in that wear
over the preceding year of 26 per cent.
OF years tne business world has
advocated the principle of collective
bargaining. Both the national and
state governments have constantly
urged cooperation on farmers. Now
that we are trying to cooperate, simply
to get prices for our product which will
maintain the industry, we are called
criminals of the worst sort We do
not think that this would be the case
If the consumers of New York CITY un-
derstood that this is as much or more
their fight as it is ours. There is milk
IN the country to be sold Farmers are
ready and willing to get this to the
city consumer. In every other city in
this section, including Buffalo, Roches
ter, Syracuse, Schenectady, Albany and
the many smaller cities of the state.
milk is being sold as usual and the
dealers are willingly paying the farm
ers' prices. A goodly amount of the
milk coming into this city at the pres
ent time is milk which the league has
sold to more than hundred of the in
dependent dealers who are paying the
farmers cost of production. 1t is onlv
those larger dealers who have com