The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-19
MILK FIGHT ENDS
IN is CENT RATE
Distributors and Farmers
Agree on Terms After I tn
Hour Conference.
FEBRUARY PRICE TO DROP
Not Much Regard Shown for
Consumer, Is Comment
by DoOling.

| +. Downing, umpire Of Gov. Smiths
! Milk Commission. threatened to quit. the
farmers combine and the milk distribu
| tors combine made up their minds 70
/ settle their differences yesterday and
agree to a compromise OF their claims.
a trlhing techncaiity held up the dec
sion on Friday
! By this compromise milk will he de-
! livered at retail in the city for Is cents
a quart during January. In the fight
between the dealers and dairymen the
latter held out 70" s4Ot hundred
weight and the distributors insisted
they would not pay this price, fixing
their limit at 1896 Tho agreement
! signed yesterday places the price to dis
tr.butors at s4.ol for January and in
! February It was agreed the price will
he reduced to sS54 Then a further
reduction to s3.31 is scheduled for
March. Any charge over this figure will
be Illegal.
a Van Bomel and Charles A. Weiant,
representing the distributors. and r. d.
| Cooper and John n Miller Of the Dairy
nens League attended the conference
IN Mr. Dowlngs Office, 165 Broadway,
Yesterday. II was apparent at once that
the deadlock of Friday night was broken
and the agreement was quickly ratified.
Matter Settled TOR Present.
Mr. Bowling. in announcing the COM
promise, said:
The matter Is settled. at least for
the present. The agreement which was
reached yesterday and the terms OF
which l telephoned to Gov. Smith. were
reaffirmed this morning. The matter Of
detail regarding tina putting Of the
agreement into effect has been COM
promised and the agreement goes into
immediate effect, tina, q to say. opera
tons Will he resumed to-day and con-
tinue indefinitely. The plan does not
make any reference to any particular
house, but is effective to all concerns
in either OF the groups
The commission will continue in exis-
tence. There will he 2 meeting in this
Office on January Is. when We will see
how the agreement has worked. Meau-
while, II any fracture appears. COM
plant will be made and the commission
VIII get busy on it. II either side tries
to put over any tricks. I will get out
OF the whole affair. In that case. the
whole matter Will be put up to the pub
lie and let tAat--the court Of last re-
sort-act accordingly.
Meetings Of the commission, lack
ing any disturbing element which may
force Its dissolution. will be held on the
18th OF each month. That IS the pro-
gramme decided upon this morning. The
price of Is cents is announced as the
legal price per quart In the city II you
pay more. then put it up TO us
When Assistant District Attorney
John T Doo.ing heard Of the agreement
he declared
without desiring to crlticise or re-
fleet in any woy on the Governors COM
mittee, let NE point out that at the
John Doe hearing Yesterday II was
proved that milk was produced through
out New York state during December
az cost OF little over cents a quart.
including all cost allowances Of every ma
turc. From facts and figures which is in
possession Of TIE District Attorney and
from testimony given before City Mag |
istrate M2Adoo e appears that there is
no Justification for the price OF 16 cents |
a quart for Grade milk 10 the con-
sumner during January. February and |
March.
Consumer Is Forgotten.
at would seem that the producers
ard distributors have again succeeded |
IN agreeing what each should receive !
without much regard for the consumer |
or what the effect of their act IS on tho |
consumers
The Health Department reports show
the receipts OF milk in New York yes
tcrday made an increase OF 13,0Se |
quarts, but WAS s'ill 2l2, quarts un-
der the normal daily supply.
OF course the farmer. were quite
elated over the compromise. which they |
CONSIDER no compromise at all. but a
complete victory and a lie saver for |
the dairy industry. said 7. r. Eastman
OF the Dairy League:
There IS no question but that we've |
won an absolute victory. especially on
TIC principle - N" cost of production
The whole issue was one of cost Of pro-
Guctiou Men of the dairy industry
were becoming disCoura ged, and We had
10 fight 20 determine whether tire farm
ers would vln their business or the dis
tributprs dictate how II Is TO be run.
II We did not win to-day many farmers
" ould have gone out o. business. We
consider this decision has saved tho
dairy Industry"