The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-12-27
THE MILK TRUSTS METHODS.

THE MILK TRUSTS METHODS.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Chicago states that milk prices there
have declined. The price paid to the
producer has been lowered from $3.05
to $3.50 per 100 pounds, drop OF As
cents or almost half cent a pound
taken from the price paid to the pro-
Queer. The dispatch also announces
that the retail price has been dropped
enc cent, from Is to IA cents quart.
There is food for thought in an
analysis of this news item. 1t shows
the "strangle hold" the milk trust has
upon both the producer and the con-
sumner. This organization, composed
Of nen who never MIXED COW, and
probably do not know COW from a
ball, stand between the producer
and the consumer of milk and take
alnost two-thirds of the price paid by
the latter. For what?
The farmer or dairyman is The pro-
Queer. He owns the cows, owns or
reats the land, produces or buys the
feed, milks the COWS and delivers the
nalik to the distributing station in
Chicago, and for this he gets $3.50
per 100 pounds, which is POS cents
per gallon, or So cents per quart.
This must pay interest on his invest
ments, pay for his labor and that Of
his hired men, who arise about 4
o'clock in the morning, (about the
time the milk trust barons are going
to bed after night of revelry) and
all the expenses of producing the5
milk and delivering it to Chicago.
For taking the milk at the distribut- |
ing station and delivering it to the
consumers, most of whom are chil
area and more than half of whom are
mere babes, the milk trust gels the |
difference between 20.S cents and Sc
cents per gallon, which is 1872 cents,
or nearly twice as much as he pro-
Queer gets for his work, his lIvec :
nents and all the incidental expenses
Df producing the milk and delivering
It to Chicago.
is there any man so blinded that
se believes this is just? Does any
me believe that the producer or the
consumer are getting a square deal
reaa the milk trust! Could the farm
r., or dairyman sell direct to the
consumer at 10 cents quart, or 40
ents a gallon, he would be 9c,tin. :
.laest twice as much for mis- milk as
ave four cents a quart, or nearly
ne-third. Will the producer and the
easumer ever deal directly with each
Their? If they do not the midd;emen
i'll continue to get the profits, Just
S they are getting them now.
1t is the same with meat products.
he price of live hogs has declined
ON 20 to 10 cents, yet pork has de-
lined but very little. There is no
eason why it should cost two or
Tree times as much to get pork or
sef or mutton from the farm to the
as it costs Cor as the farmer
sts) for producing it. The head of
e National Grange put the facts in
few words when he said: "There are
o many profits and too big profits
ing made between the farmers
lte and consumers table? The dis
essing conditions confronting botE
oducer and consumer could not
We been more plainly put in fewer
,rds
The milk trust stands between the
rmer and dairyman and he con
mers of milk and tells the former
bltrarily, just what they shall re-
i've for the milk regardless of its
imary cost. The same is true of
sats- The packing house fixes the
.urns the farmer and stockman is
have on his investment his work
d his efforts, and fixes an arbitrary
Ice on what you and / pay for our
ak, our pork chops, ham, bacon and
Ter meat products, yet neither the
cking trust nor the milk trust
)duce anything.
"a "a n
lave you noticed how few strikes
re have been since wages started
inward and many factories have
sed? Men who were willing to
ke and remain idle weeks and
afhs when they might have been
ming IS to $12 per day, are taking
chances of losing their jobs now