The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-03
CHICAGO MILK WAR
ANALYzED; DRIVERS,
DEALERS INDICTED
BY WILLIAM r. sANBoRN


district of late. Northern Illinois ana
northern Indiana milk farmers are the
victims of circumstances. There has
been a surplus of milk pouring into
Chicago for some time. The big deal
ers, virtually a milk trust, malntalneo
the price to consumers OF bottled milk
at IA cents for quarts and charged
eight cents for pints. In the mean
time they were buying milk from pro-
ducers at $3.50 per hundred pounds.
On Sept / even that low price was
lowered by producers to S1-5o, or 90
cents per quart -
In the meanwhile there is mix
drivers union in Chicago, with walk
ing delegates and the usual outfit OF
hangers on and handy men, according
TO Chicago custom in many lines. A
number of these men are in jail, or
would be but for the kindly help OF
bondsmen. Consumers who complain
ed of dirty or sour milk or OF poor
service. these including retail grocers,
restaurant keepers and marketmen, as
well as individual families, found
themselves boycotted if they attempt
ed to transfer their patronage a
strange condition surely, in this land
of the free and home OF the brave.
But things work out that way in Chi
cago.
Something to Be Thankful For.
Among the things for which the
people of Richmond. and others,
should be supremacy thankful is that
they are not living in Big Bill Thomp-
sons town by the lake, and that tney
never expect to. There are too many
feudists, and too much highway ROB-
berry and sudden death in Chicago. 10
suit law-abiding and God-fearing folks.
Albeit there are many OF that same
class in Chicago, whose chief concern
when they leave home of mornings is
that they be permitted to live through
that day and to arrive safely at home
when the shadows fall But we oil
gress: we were talking about milk
milk farmers and milkmen. The sub
ject is amply large and inviting.
Milk at $3.50 Per Cwt.
We have said that the thousands OF
milk farmers voluntarily cut the price
of milk to $1.50 per 100 pounds, dating
from Aug. 81 The central though
was to increase their sales OF milk
much of which was going to waste
Farmers stated that while this was be
low the cost of production. they were
willing to take loss, rather than te
throw a portion Of their milk away,
losing venture at almost any price.
The milk producers appreciated this
one great, overwhelming fact NO
too much milk is, or was, being poured
into Chicago, but far too little mill
was being consumed. Too many ba
bies, needing and hungry for milk
were stinted in its use. Too many
poor parents were. and are, unable u
give their children enough milk t
build up their growing bodies. Tot
many grown-ups are in the same fix
Lack of income or lack of knoWledg'
of the real value of milk, not as
beverage, but also as food, alst
helped curtail the demand. And lie
us say that this is true the countr,
over. We doubt that there is com
munity on the map which uses NOR
thai half the milk it could with bene
fit and economy.
Government Takes a Hand
Well, the government is taking
hand in trying TO straighten out mill
affairs in Chicago 1t has begun
sweeping investigation to locate tn
seat of the trouble and to bring thos
will be gathered that milk trust doe
not consist of drivers who compe
trade by thuggery. as has been show
by the testimony of hundreds of con
plaiNants in Chicago. There must b
men higher up, owners of the grea
distributing plants which supply a
most as many people as the entir
population of Indiana, within fer
miles of the Loop, taking the bi
nearby towns into account, where tn
Chicago milk prices prevail
Cut Milk to IL Cents
With the new wholesale price o
Sept /, distributors cut the price
II cents. This doesn't satisfy th
Milk Producers Marketing associt
ton, which maintains that 10 cents
now a fair retail price. present COS
being 33, or, say, 3& cents, pc
quart The milkmen say this is oil
of the question. These men hay
been laiming that it cost so near mir
cents a quart to bottle and delivt
milk that the sale of a million bottle
barely left them profit enough to bu
the wife a Bingham dress and rom
ers and keds for the baby. Pitifu
isn't it? You bet il is. But let's NJ
pass the hat just yet. Perhaps theE
men will be able to pull through.
The August grand jury indicte
punches of milk drivers and slugger
and the heads of several big distri
utors have come under Uncle Sam
scrutiny and are now on the rae
The state and federal authorities a
now working together. Chicago co
sumers have been paying the highe
prices that rule in a very wide are
The fight is on to reduce them.
War Top Sixteen Cents
The high spot for Chicago milk WI
16 cents in war days. From Is Il
price fell to II in bottles. pints sellil
at S cents against 9 cents at the pea
The price is now IL cents and Z cent
This means that milk is off % per ce
from the top, and today's Chica.
price is nearer in line with vario
other western cities, and it has. we b
lieve, the lowest wholesale cost in Il
west. since producers have taken
hand in trying to increase consumptit
by lowering prices.
Now let us see how bulk milk
being bought by Cook county for
institutions A contract was made
Sept. / at 1874 cents per gallo
against price of Al 10 cents per e.