The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-11
The Farm and Farmer
, BY WILLIAM r. SANBoRN :

ITO my mind the worlds greatest
problem is that Of properly feeding
her people"
Thus writes John Andrews in the
Dairy Farmer, Waterloo, Ia. He con-
tinues as follows:
millions of people are half starved
and hungry all the time: millions of
children are starving. undernourished,
dwarfed in body, soul and mind from
lack of proper food. While these con-
ditions are outstanding in the old
world. American cities are full OF hun
cry men and women and undernour-
ished children. The food problem
has always been and perhaps always
will be the worlds greatest economic
problem
THE production of food is a farm
er's problem-a farmers business. The
marketing and distribution of food
has been left largely to others, but
that, too, is a farmers problem and
one that he must have more to say
about it in the future than he has in
the past"
Having thus supplied his readers
with much food for thought Mr.. An
drews proceeds to discuss the value
of dairy products as never failing
as the producer of perfect food and as
one great and sure source of income.
where she is properly bred and cared
for.
The Marketing Problem.
The marketing of dairy products in
this country was for many years the
easiest kind of matter. Then came
a time of increasing costs of milk pro-
| duction also OF distribution on account
of union wages. wagon drivers. etc
Right here distributors of milk in the
large cities pyramided their prices
and profits and the consumer suffer
er approximately. This brought the
H. c. L. food commissions into &C
ton. resulted in cash and carry bulk
milk depOts in numerous cities, and
became the cause for numerous in
vestigations. In the meantime the
| fight between the milk farmers and
milk distributors went on to a finish.
| Truth to tell it turned out that. in the
main, the men who do the distribut-
| ing got the cream. and he who owned
| the cows had to be content with skim
med milk.
Richmond's Milk Problem.
Palladium readers are fully advised
! as to the present contentious of our
milk farmers; they know all about
the mass meeting of producers. held
at the courthouse last Saturday. and
| are aware that distributors have re-
duced the price paid farmers so cents
per 100 pounds. and quart bottles one
| cent to consumers. The result of all
this has been to strengthen and solldl-
| fly the milk producers association,
which claims to be producing milk at
a loss al present wholesale prices. also
that the full benefit of this cut has
not been passed on to consumers, par
ticularly so as to buyers Of pints,
which are still on the old eight-cent
| basis.
Condenseries Close Down.
! Owing to the vast stocks of canned
milk shipped to Europe for use OF all
the soldiers and also on sale to civil
ians, the overseas demand has been
very largely curtailed during the past
two years. This led to the closing
down of many important condenseries
in practically all the dairy districts OF
the country.
This action freed lot of milk to
the consuming trade and there went
out a cry of overproduction from New
York and other eastern cities. This
led to slight cuts in retail milk prices
but the price did not get down low
enough to stimulate consumption. The
decline in all prices last fall, and the
closing down of mills and factories
with continuous additions to the idle
hosts, has further tended to reduce
the demand for milk.
No Real Overproduction.
There is no real overproducticp o
milk in America. The trouble lies il