Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1920-07-30
NIX PRICES TO
co UP AUG UST |
Increase of Two Cents to Retail
Customers
Wholesale Rate Also Advances-Second
Advance by Producers Since Retailers
Have Advanced.

An increase of two cents a quart for
milk will be made by some, if not all.
of the retail milk dealers in Brattleboro
beginning Aug. l, making the price Is
cents quart for poured milk and 18
for bottled milk. This advance has
been made necessary through an advance
of one cent quart made by the pro-
ducers to the retailers and the iucreas-
ing cost of labor and equipment.
Cream doubtless will be advanced by
the retailers from 10 cents a half
pint to 20 cents half-pint.
The increase was decided upon nv
the producers through their marketing
committee, Warner A. Thomas. Charles
Whpple and Luther J. Stockwcll.
who had realized for several weeks that
the Brattleboro market has been some
what short, due to the fact that in
creased labor, feed and equipment prices
have made the business less and
less profitable to the producers. The
committee, which was elected last win.
ter at mass meeting of the 46 pro-
ducers who supply milk and cream
for Brattleboro, met last week to 20
over the situation and called in Frank
Is. Richardson to act as advisor. The
advance of one cent a quart was de-
cided upon and circular letter was
mailed to all the producers, a copy of
the letter being sent also to each of
the ID peddlers in Brattleboro. The let
ter stated that the increase would be-
come effective Aug. l, when milk would
be advanced from nine cents to 10
cents quart, and cream from So cents
to go cents a quart. The 10-cent price
for milk ia fba xx-I.soh E~,,,
paid producers who send to the Bos-
ton, Springfield and other New England
markets This is the first advance since
Aug /, 1919. av
The peddlers met Saturday night to
discuss retail prices which would con-
form with the advance made to- them
by the farmers, but due to the strong
competition between retailers no de-
cision was reached. An interview with
some of the dealers this morning, how
ever. indicates that while NO prices
are being stated definitely it is expected
that the prices for poured and bottled
milk will be l2 and l6 cents, which tx
two cents quart more for each than
at present. 1t will be remembered that
the last advance made by the producer
to the retailer was merely handed on
to the consumer with no additional adj
vance by the retailer to give him larger
margin for increased costs of labor and
equipment, and the two-cent advance
against the producers one-cent adj
vance. therefore seems to both produc.
ers and retailers to be justified
Brattleboro consumers use between
$500 and $500 quarts of milk daily,
and it is the desire of the farmers to
maintain the price of milk where the
consumers can use it as large part
of the home food supply. 1t is COM
monty said in large cities that the in
crease in price of one cent quart de-
creases the amount used by consumers
approximately 16 per cent. From this
principle of loss of business it is plain
that the milk producing industry is one
from which price e1tortion should not
be expected, as excessive high prices
serve to the detriment of the farmer bv
seriously diminishing the amount of
milk which the public is willing to buy.
1t is understood that the retail price
of milk in New York city is 10 cents r.
quart, in Boston IS cents and in Spring
field II cents, while in the nearby city
of Gardner the price is 20 cents a quart
for milk.