New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Milk Strikers
Defy Injunction, ,
Attack Worker
Violence Renewed Despite
Court Writ, When Firms
Increase Deliveries Until
Output Is Almost Normal
l,5OO Wagons on Routes
Drivers Charge 2 Big Com
panies Are Using Walkout
to Squeeze Smaller Rivals

Renewal of violence in the milk
strike, in alleged defiance of the dras-
tic injunction issued by Justice Kelby
against the strikers, and claim by
the Milk Conference Board that the
more milk than on any previous day
of the strike were the chief develop
ments, in the situation yesterday.
Another development of Importance
was charge made last night by the
Milk Drivers Union that the two larg-
est milk companies are "using the
strike as means to squeeze out their
smaller rivals and gain monopoly on
the local milk industry
The most serious act Of violence
occurred at Union Street and Flatbush
Avenue, Brooklyn, where Henry B.
Hankinson, platform man employed
by the Borden's Farm Products Com
pany, was set upon by four men, al
legged to be strikers, and so badly
beaten that he was taken to Kings
County Hospital suffering from con
cussion of the brain. His attackers
escaped. Evidence in the case is being
gathered by the Milk Conference Board
for presentation to Justice Kelby.
Supply so Per Cent Normal
review of the Improvement OBJ
tanned yesterday in distribution was
gwen out last night by 1. Elkin
Nathans, secretary of the board, in
part as follows:
More than 1900 retail wagons were
delivering milk, some on the old house,
toulouse plan, this afternoon. The
majority of wagons made canvasses
through various neighborhoods, ring
ing bells and inquiring of householders
If they wanted milk. 1t is estimated
that more than 80 per cent of the city's
normal milk supply was made available
The distributors are now definitely
concentrating on resuming house-to-
house deliveries in order to make the
milk strike thing of the past as soon
as possible. Each company has suffi-
clent information as to it's patrons to-
enable it to serve them with milk in
short order. Route men are being
taken on as quickly as they can qualify
and are being paid the old wage scale.
The number Of men taken on for all
jobs in the greater city, which nor
mally employed between 5000 and
10000 men, has passed the 5000
mark and is mounting with increasing
rapidity,. The big pas,eurization plants
are under operation except in isolated
instances. They are under the closest
supervision of health inspectors and
the companies are taking their Gus
tomary precautions to insure the pub
lie milk of the usual high standard.
"The distributors want to make it
clear at this time that they are not
fighting agains collective bargaining.
AS soon as the .publc's need for milk
channels the distributors will create
an organization in their business
which will preclude for all time the
possibility of a strike such as recent
ly occurred.
No Fight on Unions
"The Injunction obtained by some
of the distributing companies is not,
as has been enormously described,
'one of the most sweeping ever OBJ
tained 1t was based upon established
legal precedents and in no way makes
out the distributors as organizers of
war against organized labor. Their
differences have not been with unions
they have been with one union. led
by arrogant and unfair leaders,"
The union charges that the two big
gest companies are seeking to establish
a monopoly on the New York milk in
I, dustry were conta ned in the organiza-
tion's daily statement, as follows:
"a great many incorrect versions
ferences between the Milk Wagon
Drivers Union and the milk bosses.
"The real cause of the hardship
heaped upon the public, the depriva-
tion of necessary food in the form of
milk to sick babies and invalid
mothers, is due primarily to the desire
on the part of one or two large milk
firms to gain control of monopoly on
the industry.
"These two large concerns have in
duced fifteen smaller ones to link their
interest with them in the fight, with
full knowledge that the smaller ones
will be squeezed out of business on &C
count Of being unable to stand the ter
rlble financial strain fastened upon
them by the Milk Conference Board
The ultimate result will be the finan-
cial destruction of the owners of the
smaller firms, along with some of them
committing suicide, as was the case
some twenty years ago. Then, with
competition out of the way, prices will
go up. wages will be cut, and the pub
lie, along with the milk wagon drivers,
forced to pay the bill.
"As a means to this end the injunc-
tion is brought into the argument by
the big bosses to browbeat and intimi-
date"