The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-08-29
DECLARES DAIRY
TRUST IS MYTH
DECLARES DAIRY
TRUST is MYTH
Professor Erf, of the Ohio State Uni
versity, Says Indictment Is
Wrong.

Characterlzing the indictment in
Cleveland of seven officials of the
Ohio Farmers Cooperative Milk Co.,
on Aug. as the "meanest thing"
that has happened in the states war
against protiteering and predicting
general scarcity of milk in Ohio and
a great increase in price unless the
mistake that somebody made" in
the indictments is not rectifed, Pro.
Oscar Err of the dairy department of
Ohio State University College of Agri-
culture, addressed the agricultural
development committee of the Cleve-
land Chamber of Commerce Friday
afternoon and presented the pro-
ducers' side of the dairy business.
Concerning fundamental changes
which have made farming business
proposition" and have altered the
conduct Of dairying, Prof, Err said:
"The earlier farmers thought only
Of making a living, and the surplus
was left to the city folks. When 80
per cent of the people lived upon
the farm, it was not question of
making money so much as to make
q SOOu llNlIlS, Dul tllCIC LluuS lids
gradually changed over
''Instead of 80 per cent of the peo-
pie living on the farm, we have 80
per cent on the farm and 70 per
cent are in the city. Therefore, farm
ing had to be changed from a sub
sistence proposition into business
proposition"
The speaker compared milk pro-
duction methods and costs a quarter
of century ago with these prevail
ing today to illustrate his claim that
prices today hold no element Of profit
eering.
"Twenty or twenty-five years ago."
he said. 1--WE had records of a few
cows, just a few. We knew that
some of them were giving as high as
$4,000 and $4,000 pounds of milk, but
the average cow about that time was
running along about 1900 or 1900.
"Today the average COW still does
not amount to very much, but she
has developed into 3,800-pound COW.
During that time we have developed
cows in this state that give us 10000
pounds of milk.
"When milk was sold at 5 cents a
quart, with cows producing 2,4OO
pounds of milk, we fed those cows
with clover at the rate of $3.50 a
ton, which was the prevailing price
IS cents a bushel for corn, 18 cents
bushel for oats. Labor at that
time ranged from $13 to SIG month
and the hands worked from half-past
three in the morning until 7 at night
eff that cow was still in existence
today, and we supplied the present
prices for labor and feed, you and
would have to pay 81 cents quart
for milk.
"Really, the consuming public, il
it would get this proposition right
ought to be ashamed of itself, tx
criticise the producing public, be-
cause they have given every cent that
they have made to the consuming
public. The very fact that they have
developed that COW is a patent, and
could be so termed as a patent, and
they could collect on that patent, but
have they collected? No, they have
given it to the consuming public.
"Seven of your producers were ar
rested last week in your own city.
To my mind it is the most disgrace
full thing that has ever happened here.
IL have no grievance against any
one. / simply want to maintain and
develop the dairy business. The acts
that have been committed in this city
are going to react upon you.
ALREADY I am receiving letters.
Yesterday we had placed 1,40O cows
in New Jersey and 760 in Wyoming
out of this section of the country.
Cows are going to be sold and you
folks will pay the penalty in the