Evening star., 1919-04-09

| from 2.35 cents per gallon for Frederick
| 70 cents per gallon for Hartford. and
| Washington's average distribution
cost, and the milk price reaches close
to 80 cents per gallon. according to
the latest survey. Production cost
! figures allow no profit to farmers,
who in the survey simply were al
lowed small per cent for super
| allowance for profit Dealers over
head expense and profit was covered
by the difference between 60 cents
and u cents, the price a gallon of milk
brought when retailed at 18 cents a
quart.
How Cost Is Distributed.
In the figures for production cost
the agents making the survey found
that 81 per cent went for feed. % per
cent for labor and only 10 per cent
for all other costs, not including any
profit for the farmer. The total cost
to the consumer was divided, 65 per
cent for production, 1928 per cent for
transportation and 31.72 per cent for
distribution, the latter item including
dealers profit.
In the period of the survey, as an
example of feed cost, bran was quoted
at $40 a ton, though none was obtain
able at that or almost any other price.
April l the price of bran, fob. Wash
ington- was over $50 ton, while the
average for feed was $40 a ton. Dairy
farm labor today. according to pro-
ducers in the territory trihStary 70
Washington. ranges from $50 to SIS a
month.
With all of these factors entering
into the equation-cost increased be-
cause of the rigid requirements of
the District health department regu-
lations, together with unheard- of
prices for feed Of all kinds as well
as for farm labor-producers assert
that any considerable reduction in
the cost of milk to the consumer is
out of the question. They declare it
can only be brought about by lower
ing of the milk standards, as regards
cleanliness. sanitation. care in hand
ling. storing and shipping milk. ETC.,
or by radical reductions in feed prices
and the labor cost. AS the two latter
apparently are out Of the question,
at least for long period Of time. the
only alternative, if the public in
eistently demands cheaper milk, is to
furnish a supply of distinctly lower
grade, more or less dirty, unsafe and
unwholesome milk.
Washington milk consumerd, the
producers say. have been educated to
demand superior grade and would
not tolerate inferior milk, even if
the law and the regulations permitted
It's sale or the health department Of
ficials were sufficiently complaisant
to wink at its sale in this city There
fore. the producers say. dealers and
producers must share alike in di-
vision of the extra costs all along the
line, so that consumers may not be
deprived of a supply of the best milk
obtainab1e. Producers. they asert,
cannot bear the whole burden; the
dealers must share it or the pro-
ducers will be compelled to go out Of
business.
But the public must 1earn-and this
is the opinion of producers and deal
ers alike-that for superior article,
even when it is milk, they must pay
price commensurate with produc-
tion cost, etc. And milk consumers
must realize that the old days of milk
at or cents quart, or even at
10 or IL cents. have passed, not to
return until. or unless. prices of feed
of labor, of everything going into the
production of milk. as well as trans
portation and distribution costs. re-
turn to the levels Of former times.