New-York tribune., 1919-01-24

controlled by three or four e.
and therefore the distributors have hass
able to dictate terms to the produ..-
which should not be- In the s.ooms
place, the duplication of routes adds y, c..,.
This city should be zoned. but allottin,
tain firms to certain sections would g..
introduce the evils OF a monopoly and -,
iect the distributors to legal prosec,.s,.
This economy cannot be effected until -.
have appropriate Legislation permitting ,on
ing with governmental supervision Far ~
producer TO be also the distributor wonld !.
jumping from frying pan to fire as far =.
the consumer is concerned DELIVERING r..
over to one monopoly, entirely uncontron.d
The farmer and the distributor are .sbro,h
ers under the skin" as far as covetinr alt
the profits the traffic Will bear is concerned
New York milk distribution as Ar nrossn.
accomplished is a burden on the conspnax.
but this seems to be due to the condition.
rather than the rapacty OF the distribu,.
ing agents. The cost of distribution in q
city OF the shape and size of New york
filled largely with apartments is some,hins
that only those who have "distributedv ear
even imagine.
he condensary problem. which has M.
even been touched upon. is a very imnor.
tant one, and here again it seems dhcul,
TO understand how the condensaries in Nor
York can pay more than those in any otber
state for milk when the resultant products
condensed miks. cheese, etc, must enter
into interstate and foreign commerce and
compete in the market Obviously. tho
New York farmer cannot get more for his
milk offered for this purpose than is paid
IN competing states.
Granted that the cost of production of
milk has increased along with more ex-
pensive feeds and higher prices of labor
and granted, further. that the farmer has
in the past not estimated his costs as hs
should, and has not included homo labor
at all. nevertheless the varying costs of
production on large and small farms and
under different conditions Of farming. un
der summer and winter conditions. present
such complex problem that the details
must be subject to arbitration and super
vision, to efficiency and cost, lust as
milk is supervised in regard to it's san
tary condition.
AHV PSHSHOlOSN tOl Dubi4C resentment
concerning the cost of foods is curious hu;
natural. Shoes that cost So few years ago
we pay $l+ for and vince. but max,
no outcry only. do it twice a year or
SO. But food is a three -tmes-a day affair
and the constant irritation soon wears a
sore spot in our tempers. And OF all foods
milk presents the most difficult problem
1t is practically a public utility, and be
cause of its being at once absolutely nee
essary and highly pcrshable it is In
class with no other food. Other necessi-
ties like grains staples; they are uoi
perishable; but milk is at once essent' al to
life and swift and fatal in its deterioration
There is. therefore, real problem here
which is ones fault it is inherent Fl,
the nature Of the case And for this rca
son, and the fact that The life OF tnc racr
depends on milk as on no other food. The
milk question should be approached in q
broad spirit of cooperation and arbitration
rather than in utterly selfish and mills.
tant mood. New York conditions do not
seem to be paralleled elsewhere. 1t has
been matter of Handling a good case
badly as one expert cooperative pro-
ducers' organizations put It,
II milk cannot be produced a. price that
even the poor pay, then we must sub
sdize its production or establish community
centres whore the need can be met nv par,
tial state aid sales at cost. But the fix.
ing of the price Of production should not be
arbitrary and theoretical and made tne
football of antagonistc interests The com.
plexities of the problem should be aoknowl-
edged, and the farmer should extend lis CO.
operative functions so that he can collect
the milk, own the cans and lay it down in
the city himself, thus preventing dictation
from monopoiies at distant points.
This is not theory, but the result Of the
experience OF cooperating producers of other
perishable products When such coopera-
tive league is in effect then there should
be government supervision and differences
should be subject TO arbitration by govern
mental boards. This plan was operated so
successfully under the food administration
that a number of organizations have gone
on record as favoring legislation that wouli
favor the licensing Of their businesses
under governmental supervision
OF course. the distributors should also bc
licensed and be under governmental super
vision. which would permit Of zoning the
city and effecting many economies in opera
ton compared with the present bungle
some plan. These reforms together v.i.
improved terminal facilities and increased
volumes of milk, would go far 10 effect
real saving to the consumer and insure fair
prices to both distributor and producer
ldoiatry Of tie Warren formula and
fight to win" spirit will never solve the
difficulty. 1t will only bob up again shortly
A fight over milk is almost like fight
over sunshine. air or water. 1t simply can
not be tolerated. And casting our eye over
surrounding territories, and reviewing all