New-York tribune., 1920-03-20
Sheffield May
Face Charge of
Price Fixing
Dooling AnnouncesEvidence
Against Milk Distributors
Is Likely TO Be Given to
Federal Jury Next Week
DIR. Copeland Skeptical
May Put Somebody in JAIL
He Says, but Legislation
Alone Will Effect Cure

Charges that the Sheffield Farms
CompAny's order to farmers to curtail
production Of milk was part of a price
fixing arrangement may be presented
before Federal grand jury within a
week, John T. Dooling, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney, announced yesterday.
Evidence obtained by. District Attor-
ncy Swami was turned over by Mr..
Dooling to Francis G. Caffey, United
States District Attorney. Mr.. Caffey
later conferred with Henry A. Cutler,
his assistant, who has been Investigate
ing the milk situation in New York
since last August. Mr.. Caffey declined
to say what he intended to do, but Mr..
Dooling declared that cooperation be-
tween the state and Federal authorities
had been agreed upon. H said he was
confident that enough evidence had
Federal indictments under the Lever
act.
Copeland Skeptical
"Not the slightest doubt exists in my
mind that the milk situation will be
placed before Federal grand jury
said Mr.. Swami, after he had gone over
the evidence with Mr.. Dooling. eve
iecl that so far as prosecution can help
New York consumers, it ought to be
brought under the Lever act, war
time measure still in effect which
makes it a felony for any individual. or
corporation 20 limit the production of
the necessaries Of life
Dr.. Royal S. Copeland, Health Com
missioner, said yesterday he did not
believe that prosecution would do any
good.
"The milk trust has violated the
Lever act and the Sherman antitrust
act right along and it will continue to
break the law when the Milk Confer
ence Board and the officials of the Dairy
mems League meet tomorrow to fix
prices for April" said DR.. Gope1and.
eve may put somebody in Jail, but the
milk problem will continue to be with
us. New legislation is the only remedy
Explanations were made by the Shelf
field Farms Company's officials that the
order to farmers to curtail production
had been generally misunderstood. Ir-
win G.. Jennings, in charge of the COM
pany's welfare department, said the
company was under obligation to in
form the farmers Of the condition of
the New York market. tie said the
market was now getting surplus of
milk because the condensation plants
were not taking any milk on account of
the decrease in exports. The farmers
were merely told not to feed their cat
tie with view of increasing produc-
tion and to keep in mind possible
shortage later in the spring, Mr.. Jen-
nings said.
Meantime Mr.. Swami and Edwin j.
O'Malley, Commiss ioner Of Public Mar
kets, announced they were considering
plan whereby the city might cooper
ate in getting 100000 surplus quarts
now being produced daily upstate and
distribute it through army food depots,
public health stations and the 500 pub
lie school buildings. Mr.. Swami said
he believed that milk could be sold for
quart would cover the cost of distribu-
ton. Two years ago during the pend
ing milk strike, Mr.. Swami said, the
Dairymen's League, which represents
the producers. had agreed to ship milk
to the city and distribute it through a
series of chain stores. Roswell D.
Cooper, president of >the league,
promised to confer with Mr.. Swami on
Monday.
Van Bomel Fails to Appear
Mr.. O'Malley assured Mr.. Swami that
he heartily favored the plan. He said
the seventythree public health sta
tions. which are equipped with ice
boxes, might readily be used. He pro-
posed that the containers be paid for
ont of the 100000 surplus left from
the army food sales.
Leroy A. Van Bomel. one Of the direc-
tors of the Sheffield Farms Company,
who is said to have posted the notice
to farmers to curtail production, was
asked by Mr.. Swami to appear before
him yesterday. Mr.. Van Bomel failed