The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-05-28
FARMERS
WIFE HAS
COMPLAINT

In answer to the following letteE
The Times desires to state that II is
in full sympathy with the farmer. II
has not criticized the farmer and 1t
believes he should receive 81 per cent
of the retail price Of milk instead q
a third, as at present. Nothing, now
ever. can excuse the waste of food al
a time when half the world is starv-
ing and We are called upon to send
money to Europe and the Orient TO
buy milk for starving babies when
there Is no milk there to buy Ihe
waste is not chargeable TO the farmer.
It is chargeable TO the Milk Producers
Cooperative Market Company and the
unscientifc dairy business of the
country.
While many improvements have
been made IN the handling OF n4l'K
such as pasteurization. they have all
come as the result Of just such agits-
tion as that carried on by The Times
against the pouring OF thousands OF
gallons of SKINNED milk into Lake
county sewers daily.
The letter from . farmers Wife"
follows:
Hobart. Ind, May IS.
To the Editor OF the Lake Couacy
Times:
Dear sir:-As one OF the readers OF
your publication I am led to ask why
in this controversy over the mooted
milk question. you ara constantly en-
gagged In criticism Of the producer. the
farmer and his family whom you 49,
liberately seem to wish to misrepre-
sent to the reading public.
Has It not occurred TO you that the
distributing end of this important and
necessary business may need the light
Of tnve stfgation? Mix IS now retail
ing at from II to IL cents per quart.
that Is when delivered and Of this
amount 2-3 cents per quart goes to
the producer, and It Is common knowl-
edge for those who care to know the
truth that milk cannot be produced
and sold at that price without actual
loss TO the producer.
The fact is that at current prices
the farmers OF this region are being
forced to give their labor without
anything near like a reasonable com
pensation, II you doubt my statement
we should be glad to have you exam
inc our books.
1T has been stated the consumer
should have ten cent milk by July.
Then the pastures begin to fail. feed
to buy and the cost OF production in
creases II II takes nine cents per
quart for distribution that would leave
1 cent per quart for producers, q little
over the shipping cost. Where would
the producer be at and where do you
think you would get the milk.
Some time ago the milk drivers
asked for an increase in pay which
amounted 10 less than half a cent per
quart for the amount OF milk delivered.
The price to the consuming public,
however. was raised a full cent per
quart. Would not this also bear in
vestigation?
AS far as the insidious captains re-
cent used in the headlines OF the pa
| pers with regard TO the throwing away
of hundreds OF gallons of skimme q
milk Is concerned, anyone who Will be
honest and take the trouble to look
into the matter will find that at this
time OF the year milk has always been
abundant, the only difference :. being
that formerly the dealers required the
farmer to keep the surplus milk on
the farm and stand the loss whereas
now the Marketing Co. uses the sur
plus to the best possible advantage
and much more efficiently than the
farmer.
I suppose that II has at some time
or other suggested itself to the
economists OF your valuable publica-
tion, that one OF the sources OF the
basic wealth Of the nation is its food
supply and that you cannot bankrupt
your farmers and drive their young
men and women away TO the cities
without seriously injuring the whole
economic life of the nation
1T might be well for you occasion
ally to reflect on these things.
Very cordially yours,
"A FARMERS WIFE"