New-York tribune., 1921-11-29
Milk Retailers
Profit Runs as
High {, as Scents
Few Stores Selling Grade A
Under 20 Cents; Range
of Grade B Up to IL; No
Overcharge ON Loose
La Cuardia Plans Probe
Cannot Get Home Supply,
He Says; Distributors
Face $4,000 Suit

r. ace @A.UNSU.OOO CAit
An inquiry by The Tribune into
complaints of 'penny profteerng" in
milk; q controversy over the daily
household supply in the home of F: II.
La Guardia, President of the Board of
Aldermen, and threat of the striking
milk workers to sue the distributors
for $2,00O,00O, which sum they assert
is due them, were the chief develop
ments in the strike situation yester-
day.
The Tribune's inquiry, which was
conducted in Manhattan, Brooklyn and
the Bronx, disclosed that the retail
charges for milk in the three boroughs
vary, according to the price conscience
Of the storekeeper, but that the elastic
ity has a Scent range.
The La Guardia controversy de-
veloped as the result of statement
tl,of the Aldermanic President, in which
he said that ne was considering recon-
mending to the Board of Aldermen to-
day that it investigate the strikers
charges of police brutality, and in
| formed them that "the police have no
right to interfere with peaceful pick
citing"
Strike Hits La Guardia Home
"The strike isn't broken" he added.
81 have found it impossible to get the
proper milk for Mrs. La Guardia, who
is i'll, and had to appeal to Health Com
missioner Copeland for it,"
Last night l. Elkin Nathans, secre-
tary of the New York Milk Conference
Board, issued the following reply to
Mr.. La Guardia:
| "There appears to be some misunder-
! standing regarding the milk supply of
President La Guarda Of the Board of
| Aldermen, whose wife is reported to
be i'll. The day after the beginning of
the strike the distributors were noti-
fed by the Health Department that
Mrs. La Guardia was i'll and would re-
| quire a regular supply of milk. AS in
the case of others in sore need of
milk, arrangements were made where
! by Mrs. La Guardia was supplied with
two quarts of certified milk and one.
half pint of cream at first, and later
with only one quart of certified milk
and one-half pint Of cream. This was
delivered each day since and including
November 2 by an employee named
| William Curley.
"The La Guarda family, therefore,
received its milk supply daily, just as
did every other family which made
known it's needs.
"There were 3.120 wagons out Of a
total of 3,849 making deliveries to-
day"
Mr.. La Guardia received delegation
of women relatives of the strikers anl
told them that he would Introduce a
resolution asking for the appointment
cf an Aldermanic committee to inves-
tigate police brutality in the strike in
the event that the strikers Furnished d
him with sufficient evidence Of it.
Announcement of the intention of
the union to sue the distributors for
S2,000,O00 was made by George W.
Briggs, the strikers chairman. He
said that this sum represents what the
distributors owe the men in back pay
and commissions for the week before
the strike and the $3.50 deposit coming
employed him."
Cent Profit Only, Legitimate
The profiteering investigation was
Nathans, of the Milk Conference
Board, in which he said that "the re-
taller is entitled to profit of one cent
bottle for milk, and anything above
that is profteering."
I'VE sell grade A milk to the re
taller at 18 cents bottle, grade B a
IA cents and charge little less thar
II cents quart for loose milk" Mr.
Nathans explained "Thus the publ
should pay the retailer not more thai
19 cents for grade A, Is cents for grad
B and IL cents quart for loose milk.
The chief variance found yesterda
was in connection with grade B, whic
was sold at from Is to II cents. At n
stores visited, except those of the Shet
field Farms Company, could grade A b
procured for less than 20 cents. Their
= was no overcharge discovered on loos
milk. which was found to sell in on
dairy store in the lower East Side q
low as IL cents quart.
Following is brief summary Of th
inquiry made at each Of the stores vi,
tied, together with a statement by tn
proprietor:
Wilkens & Won Seth, grocery. 2st
broadway-No grade A or loose mil
4 handled; grade B sold at II cents: "tl
Sheffield and Borden companies chare
4 me Is cents bottle, and it's so niue
4 bother handling 1t that I'd do witho,
1t If only one-cent profit was di
q tated'
Y Saunter Inn Delicatessen, Broadw:
j and 112th Street.-The Grade A or loo
a milk; Grade at II cents. owe h,
\ t. pay Is cents bottle for it fro
4 Sheffield since the strike started"
Jack Jappen's delicatessen, 474 W
h lis Avenue, the Bronx-No Grade A
4 loose milk; Grade B at 16 cents. II D
n e"Shle uS 10 centS quart.
4 ri. Zelikowitz, grocery, 62e Rerr
y Avenue, the Bronx-No bottled mi
4 handled, because not obtainable
4 loose milk at IL cents A clerk sal
4 we pay Weissman's Dairy $3.50
\ forty-quart can, but there's seldt
\ more than thirty eight or thirty-ni
l quarts in the can"
4 Sheffield Farms Store, Park Ayen
4 and Sixtieth Street-Grade A at
\ cents, grade at Is cents, no loo
\ milk.
- Madison Grocery and Fruit sh,
6a4 Madison Avenae--No grade A
loose milk; grade B at Is cents.
pay Id cents bottle and the or
cent profit is enough for me, as / 8
milk chiefly as an accommodation +
nay customers"
Plaza Delicatessen. e33 Maids
Avenue-Grade A at 20 cents, grade
at II cents, no loose milk eve G
get grade at IA cents only by pa
ing deposit on the bottles, otherwi
It's 10 cents. We have to make O
81 present profit because of service a,
q bags furnished"
81 X. Deutsch, delicatessen, 102 Forsy
u Street, near the Bowery-Loose mi
at IL cents; no bottled milk sold.
Brudno's Dairy, Sc Forsyth Street
Loose milk at II cents if container