New-York tribune., 1920-03-13
Copeland Again
DenOuncesMillx
Production Cut
Large Malnutrition Rate
Among City's Children
Demands Largest Supply
Possible, He Declares
Horton Defends Order

Sheffield III e q d Asserts
Reduction in Quantity
Will Not Increase Price
The action Of the Sheffield Farms
Company in advising farmers to cur
tail the production Of milk is helping
to keep the pvice up here At 3 time
whom malnutrAtion Of children has
reached the highest point on record,
Dr.. Royal s. Copeland. Health Commits
sioner, charged yesterday. He de-
clsrsd that If all concerned would do
their part, milk I'm large quantities
could be shipped here and sold at low
cost to people who need it bitterly.
D. L. Horton, secretary Of the Shelf
field company. denied that the advice
which no admits his company has given
will have any effect on the price Of
milk. which will decrease about two
cents April l, as previously predicted.
he declared that the action Of the
company was directed solely toward
preventing repetition Of heavy losses
which were suffered last year in han
ding the big spring surplus Of milk
which could not be sold f1;esh and add
cd that the practice was common with
All big milk manufacturing companies.
He added that decrease lin the price
OF milk would not result in, an increase
in Its use in the city.
DIR. Copeland's Reply
n~
remark of Lotion Horton, president Of
the Sheffield, that his most recent at
tack on the company was n grand
stand play"
"When | make grand stand play I
don't begin by filling a foryy-quart
to be using a million quarts of milk
more day than we are. Never before
was malnutrition so widespread among
the lack Of milk. A recent census Of
thirty-three schools showed thst in
them malnutrition ran from II 10 73
per cent. We found 4,500 childran in
need Of medical attention.
"For the first time since the war
conditions are such that if the Law of
supply and demand was permitted to
work quantities Of milk could be sold
here at materially lower prices. There
-is now no demand for the manufacture
OF milk by-products. If sold at all it
surplus, if all concerned would do
their duty, milk could be brought here
and sold at low price.
"Mr. Horton does not want to recog-
Mise the conditions which would JUS
tify and. indeed, demand material re-
duction In price, and he proceeds to
create an artificial shortage. He does
not care to have an abundance Of milk.
He is trying to make 1t appear, or
actually to bring 1t about, that there is
shortage of milk and that the price
must be maintained.
"The producing farmer Is at the
mercy OF two cold blooded groups of
men, the officials Of the Dairymen's g
League and the New York Milk Con-
fsfence Board. The farmer, as usual,
will be the victim and will be forced to
take greatly reduced price and re-
fused the privilege of enlarging his
hsiness. 1t Is my hope that the pres
ent exposure will open the eyes Of the
farmers to tho fact that they are being
v1etamized and 50 will end the farmers
opposition, which is preventing milk
reform legislation at Albany"
No Law Violated
Dr.. Copeland added that since no
health laws were being violated his
department. was powerless to act. The
case has been called to the attention
OF Attorney General Palmer.
D. L. Horton denied DR.. Copelands
charges almost completely.
sour books show" he said. "that
there has been almost no change in the
amount Of milk served to the average
consumer IN the last fifteen years in
spite of the differences In price, so a
drop In price would not increase the
which make 1t desirable to cut down
the surplus supply will insure the price
going down, for the prices are partly
based on the market value of Butter
and cheese. Tho cutting off Of the de-
mand for these things, which is what
has driven the price down. Is the thing
thet makes 1t Impossible to dispose Of
10 not affected"
u. u; Cooper, president Of the Dairy
mems League, said last night concern
Ing the Sheffield procedure:
The Dairymen's League Is unalter-
ably opposed to any such proposition.
Increased production is the need of the
hour and he who advocates decreased
league is advising and urging its mem
Ders to keep up production because it
believes the present situation is onlv
temporary.
1T Is quite possible that the produc-
ton OF milk may be decreased, but tho
cause OF tho decrease will not be a
desire on the part Of the farmer to do
90, nor on the part of the league. but
rather the action of the dealers and
ths infiammatory statsments issued
4E0m time TO time by some Of the citv
eAacials Of New York ' ''
Another factor that may decrease
the production Of milk 10 the report
Of the Fair Price Milk COMMITTEES. of
Which DR.. Copeland, Health Oommis
saoner, Is chairman, resulting in the in
PRODUCTION Of q Bin in tho state ts st,e Leeia- i
latur:. which. II passed, practically
would conAscate the farmers' pron-
srty." fA"p-
Upstate Dairy Farmers
YC