The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-23
MILK UP. FEED UP.
The Dean OF Elmlra College Views
an Alarming Situation.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sr: I
saw with pleasure In your paper OF
January 10 an editorial article which
touches the crux of the milk question,
upon which so much nonsense Ia being
written.
May I ask that you note that on the
day upon which IL IL announced TO the
world that the strike Is adjusted there
is also announced that married. adj
vance In the price of feeds has been de-
cided upon?
Tho coincident advance in the price OF
feed with the settlement of the strike,
upon the farmers price, is exactly what
happened before, in the strike OF two
years ago. The consequence At that
time was that the farmers were ut once
back In n hole rs deep as that from
which they had supposed themselves to
be extricated by the adjustment OF the
long fight for what they considered n
living price.
Another item not to be overlooked In
this recurring trouble Ia the wages pues-
ton. II, as has been now proposed. an
effort IL made ly the State to keep UP
the wage Of factory and other hands to
war or near war prices. then the cost
OF milk must remain high, Men cannot
be hired for the intelligent handling Of
good dairy stock for less wages than
they can earn in factory work.
In 1918 when pound OF feed cost
cent and n half and a mans wage a day
was $3.50 to 81. the price paid the
farmer for milk was an average OF $3.50
q hundred pounds OF milk. This was
not living price. was In the dairy
business at that time and went out OF
the production OF market milk convinced
OF the impossibillty OF getting n price
OF 50 a hundred for milk. which at that
time would have made an average price
at which the dairyman could pay cost
and have n margin OF profit.
With labor at 81 and grain at over 10
cents a pound. as at present it IL not
difficult for any one TO figure that the
farmer II not as well of now as when
found the business too unremunerative
to continue In H. Not even although he
get st01 \ hundred for milk.
No satisfactory adjustment OF the milk
price will be reached until the price OF
milk to the producer stands In definite
relation to the current price OF feed and
OF labor In other fields. When the pub
lie understands this there will. I think,
be a chance for the dairyman to live,
and perhaps a chance FOR the consumer
to exist too.
! know the dairyman's problems from
A to Il. We have run herds OF twenty
cows and Il hundred and nfty COWS and
have made common milk. grade \ milk
and certified milk in one OF the best
dairy counties of New York State. II
il a losing game and must remain so
until some working basis OF price TO
producer is established on a scale which
will slide with the price OF feed and with
the price OF labor IN other fields.
AS matters now stand my place Is
closed. the COWS sold, and the barns
empty. Like many others | am out OF
the business for cool and have nothing
to gain or lose ny any adjustment In
prices. But would Ike 10 SEQ some
advance made toward laying the ghost
Of everlasting misunderstanding on the
business Of the producer.
II feeds now 30 up again, and II the
State sustains wages, there will az in
evitably be another milk strike as day
follows dawn The grain dealers got
all there was gained by the strike two
years ago and they will get all there
has been In this strike
NJ. ASsVrCr HARRIS.
FLMisA. January 81