The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-10-29

have been responsible fr the increase
in the cost Of market milk in the
| cities Of this State, and more par
ticularly TO present some Of the eco
nomic problems and practical difficult
ties connected with milk production
and distribution, and 10 suggest some
remedy whereby the process OF distri-
button may be made TO be more eff
Gent and thereby less costly. Consum-
ers generally do not have very clear
understanding Of the problems in
volved, and it is the purpose Of this
publication to present the development
and status Of the industry in order
| that consumers, as well as those en-
gagged in the industry may have a
broader view Of the entire business Of
supplying market milk.
Population increases in our cities
have been very largely responsible
for many Of the changes noted in the
business of milk distribution The
population Of the State according to
the 1915 census was 2,844,342, almost
double the population Of 1890 when it
was 1,444, 933. Where a comparatively
few years ago the milk supply Of many
Of our larger towns and cities was
produced in the Immediately sur
rounding country and distributed by
producers, now much Of that producing
territory is covered by suburbs and
all Of the milk supply, or large por-
ton of it, is transported to the city
by train and auto truck, pasteurized
in large city plants, bottled and dis
tributed. Milk is necessarily brought
greater distances and from larger pro-
ducing areas, adding to the cost OF
transportation and collecting.
With the increase in population also
came health measures designed to
better protect the milk supplies.
Where, formerly, there were few #
any milk ordinances regulating the
reproduction and handling Of the
milk supply, today practically all Of
our towns and cities have some sort
of control over the productin and hand
ling Of the supply. Where the business
Of distributing milk was formerly done
by number of milk peddlers, all Of
whom dipped the supply from cans,
a method now considered unsanitary,
today practically none Of our larger
towns and cities permit such practice;
but most of them do require delivery
of milk in glass bottles, large num-
Der require pasteurization Of most Of
the supply, and several require tuber-
culin testing of cows producing milk
TO be sold in the raw state, all of which
have added to the safety of the milk
supply and also to its cost.
Many or all of these changes which
have added to the ultimate cost Of milk
are directly the result of increases in
our city population and of the increase
and development of the business.
The Present Status of Production
Coincident with the increase in the
population of cities we have had de-
crease in the number of COWS in New
Jersey. In 1900 there were estimated
to have been 223,261 cows, while the
estimate for January, 1920, is 141,200
mich cows, decrease of 1858 per cent
in 20 years. Practically all the milk
produced in the State today goes into
the liquid milk market, a relatively
small percentage being manufactured
into butter, condensed milk, cheese
and ice cream, while 90 years ago but
ter manufacture was an important in
dustry New Jersey sends large guam
titles of milk from the northern part
of the State into the New York mar
ket and from the southern part into
the Philadelphia market, and in turn
receives in many of the cities of the
State milk produced in both Pennsyl-
vania and New York State.
The Farm Price of Milk-According
to the 1910 census the average farm
price of milk in New Jersey was 4
cents per quart A better understand
ing of the fluctuations in prices of
milk and butter will be secured by
study of the chart which shows the
wholesale prices in the New York
Market since 1870 according to the
Milk Reporter" published in Sussex
New Jersey.
Up to the fall of 1916 the individ-
ual dairyman sold his milk to the city
dealer Since that time collective
bargaining has been established, the
producers sellinug their milk collect
lively through their organizations, the
Dairyman's League in the New York
market and the Interstate Milk Pro
ducers' Association in the Philadelphia
market. The two primary markets
govern very largely the price OF milk
in the cities of this State. Such col
lective sale of milk by producers is
now countrywide and is recognized
by everybody as being absolutely
necessary to guarantee fair prices to
the producer as we'll as being a much
more efficient method of marketing.
The average price of milk in the
New York market prior to October,
1916, was s1.48 per 100 pounds or 3
l. 1fa