Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-16
COUNTY DA|RYMEN
PLEDGE THEIR SUPPORT
Approve Stand Taken by New
York State Producers in
Striking for a Price of $4.O1
Per Hundred Pounds for Milk
for New York City.

Farmers of Chittenden county, mem
bers of the New York Dairymen's League
want the cost of milk production, plus a
reasonable profit, the same as all bust
ness that is successful must receive"
said Guy Baldwin of Hinesburg, presi-
dent Of the Chittenden county branch of
the league, to Free Press reporter Sat
urday afternoon in the county agents
office in Stannard Memorial building. fol-
lowing n meeting of the branch at which
1t was unanimously voted to support the
league. it's officers and the stand of both
for the so-called Warren formula"
Thus Chittenden county farmers and
the league officials boast of having 1000
members with n representation of be-
tween 5000 and 10000 dairy cows in this
county, have lined up to assist the New
York Dairymen's League In its strike"
for what the members call a fair price,
considering the cost of production. with
an allowance for a reasonable profit The
action taken will have no effect in this
county or in the State. as the price de-
manded is only for milk shipped to New
York city from within radius of $50
miles.
Continuing, President Baldwin said:
1.-THE officers of the New York State
Dairymen's League who sit in the re-
splendent offices and draw big salaries
are only the hired men of the farmers and
are carrying out the instructions of those
farmers to the best of their ability.
"As for the big salaries, those are paid,
together with the office expenses, travel
ing expenses salaries for minor officers,
organizing expenses of branches and mis-
cellaneous expenses, from one cent de-
Quoted from the price of each 100 pounds
of milk shipped to New York, together
with the membership fee of % cents per
COW. Once farmer joins the Dairymens
League ,and pays his first payment of
% cents for each COW in his herd he does
not have to pay another cent for league
membership dues for the rest of his ma
tural life unless he adds more cows to
his herd and then the same fee of 25
cents per head is asked. If farmer
sends his milk to local markets or to a
creamery in his locality he does not have
to pay the one cent per 100 pounds to-
wards the maintenance of the central
office in New York city.
THE so-called Warren formula is a
difficult thing for the average milk con-
sumner and the general public to grasp.
1t is based on the cost of production of
the milk for year. and includes the
cost of hay, grain, labor, the farm, the
amount of interest on money in the dairy,
the insurance on the dairy, taxes and
allowance for other minor expenses of
operating dairy. plus a reasonable profit
for the dairyman. Credited to the cost
of milk is the value received from fer
tilizer and calves from the dairy herd
! With the latter two credits subtracted
. from the costs of the producing of milk
the result is the so-called Warren for
mula.
I'm making up the Warren formula
the costs of grain, hay, labor, etc., are
taken once each month from government
reports and then each locality's geo.
, graphical situation with relation to its
market place is figured in and the COM
pilation gives the formula. The War
rem formula. calls for price of $401 per
| hundred pounds within the radius of 15C
miles of New York city. The dealers
are willing to pay only $500 for the
amount of milk from that radius.
I'VE are willing, as farmers in the
| league, to put our side of the question
before any fair-minded citizen through
the public press and let that citizen de-
| eide. This the dealers have refused to do
The league claims that the dealers should
not make as much profit from delivering
| the milk in the cities as it costs the
| farmers to produce it.
| The league is not trying to starve the
| babies in the cities nor the wounded SOL
! diers in the hospitals. The league offered
| to let the dealers have milk to supply
| both of these needy aggregations at their
own price, but they refused. To sell milk
at a price lower than the Warren for
J mula' means that our own babies on the
| farms will suffer for the want of the
necessities of life"
About 40 dairymen attended the meet
ing, and practically every town of any
size in the county was represented. Pres.
ident Baldwin made a report on the meet
! ing at Utica, n. Y, several days ago
where 1900 delegates were gathered. II,
told how the delegates there voted tc
stand by the Warren formula" and the
price of S4.0l per hundred for three pei
cent. milk within n radius of $50 miles
of New York city which the formula
called for; also that a delegate repre-
senting each county was appointed tc
confer with Governor Smith Of New Yorl
with reference to the situation.