The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-29
DISTRIBUTORS YIELD
TO DAIRY LEAGUE
Agree tc Pay Farmers $3.50
Hundred Pounds for
Milk.
DRIVERS WIN A POINT
Arbitration of Demands for
Wage Increase to SIS
Agreed Upon.

The big milk distributing companies
met defeat yesterday all along the line
The Dairymen's League forced the Bor-
denis Farm Products Company, which
thus far has held out firmly to pay the
farmers its November price Of s3.65 for
100 pounds of milk testing per cent
butter fat. In addition. the union of
milk wagon drivers wrung from the dis
tributors an agreement to arbitrate de-
mands for new wage scale to go into
effect November 1. Three arbitrators
are to be picked by each side and a
seventh is to be chosen by them. The
distributors and drivers have pledged
themselves to be bound by whatever
decision is reached. The agreement does
away with danger of a strike which has
threatened distribution of tho c!ty's milk
supply.
The Borden company Is the last OF the
big distributors to enter into Novem-
Der agreement with the producers. It's
proposal had been to pay $685. for its
milk, but II capitulated yesterday to the
league demands following threats of
farmers IN central New York to with
hold their entire production of 100000
quarts daily. Rather than yield. the
producers voted to send their milk to
cheese factories.
The announcement that the Borden
company had yielded was contained in
statement issued last night at the Offices
OF the Dairymen's League. The COM
pany is to keep open all its country milk
stations that were in operation in Octo-
Der.
1.-THE farmer will receive 1927 cents a
quart for average milk testing 3.6 per
cent butter fat" the statement says.
1.-THE producers price has remained I'M
changed since September L. 1890 Manu-
facturers' stil. refuse to buy milk at any
price Their country plants, which were
shut down October /, will continue
closed"
Drivers Accept Arbitra ton.
In a letter signed by I. Ekins Ma
thans. secretary of the milk conference
board. the distributors agreed to arbi-
trate the demands of the milk wagon
drivers for an increase OF $40 weekly
in their basic rate of pay, which is s35.
The letter was read at meeting OF
5000 members OF the five local Unions
hereabouts in Madison Square Garden
In the afternoon. The drivers voted
unanimously to agree to the arbitration
proposal, originally put forward by
union representatives during the Ave day
conference which has been in progress
here. The committee refused to present
Mt yesterdays meeting request by the
distributors that the old wage scale be
agreed to for another year.
"In view of the evidence on every hand
OF decrease In the cost of living and
efforts by all 10 get back to a normal basis
of doing business" said Mr.. Nathans's
letter refusing the union demands but
Offering TO arbitrate them, ut is most
inadvisable TO add further to costs at the
present time. We have during the war
been most liberal with our employees, and
they are to-day the highest paid for the
service rendered OF any engaged in milk
distribution.
"1n 1918 we granted an Increase In
wages equivalent TO one cent a quart
and In 1919 a similar increase, coupled
with marked Improvement In working
conditions and six days a week, which
drivers in no other city in the country
enjoy These increases we necessarily
had to pass on TO the public. The de-
mand you now make would represent n
further increase in operating costs Of
about s10000,000 per annum. We feel
that The limit in this direction has been
reached
supports sir Day Week.
George w Briggs, international secre-
tarv OF the union who read the letter at
the meeting. said that. in addition to ask
ing the drivers to sign the old wage
scale. the board wished to incorporate In
the agreement provisions eliminating va
cations and overtime for Sunday work.
Mr. Briggs said the Ftatement that a
IL Ill
milk wagon drivers in other cities was
false