The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-10-05
Assistant Attorney Opens
Fight on Milk Market
ing Company.
HUNDREDS HERE HIT
State Declares Company Or
gained Violates the
Wisconsin Statutes.

Cooperative association of Chicago,
holding contracts with $500 southern
Wisconsin farmers for disposal of
their milk is Illegally doing business
in this state, Alvin Refs, assistant
encouragement attached to the de-
partment of markets, advised company
officials and hundreds of farmers here
at the opening of the commission
hearing on complaint against the Illi-
nois marketing concern.
| Contracts of the company are void,
| its representatives subject to prose
cution for violation of the Wisconsin
cooperative law, and farmers of this
state due to loss thru their connection
with its affairs, Mr.. Refs declared.
Urges New Organization.
Proposal was made by the assistant
encouragement that the $500 Wis
consin farmers now connected with
the milk producers cooperative asso-
citation at once organize q Wisconsin
cooperative milk association under
Wisconsin law. Attempt to try to
continue under their present system
would only result in continued viola
ton of the Wisconsin Cooperative
| association statute, he declared.
The action which brought on to-
days hearing was recently commenc-
ed by the department Of markets
against the Farmers Cooperative as
ISOLATION after complaint that it was
| "a trfY 70 dol 70,
into the association with it by de-
manding service charge on the pro-
duct offered by its members. Former
Governor Charles S. Dineen of Hi
nois and Aaron Sapiro, cooperative
attorney, represented the Illinois
company at the hearing.
Shows Penalties Faced.
Outlining the states case against
the cooperative company to hundreds
of it's members who crowded the as
sembly chamber, Mr.. Refs said that
the farmers in the association faced
the following consequences:
1. The encouragement or any
district attorney can recover $500
penalty from every representative.
in the state.
g Contracts of the company are
void, both in the hands of the farmer
and the company.
8. The dairy and food commission
er can probably revoke all sanitary
licenses of the company to operate
milk stations, and receiving depots.
A. Action might be taken against
the company on the ground that it has
issued $4,000 of securities in the
division of the railroad commission.
state without approval of the securities
"Come as Wisconsin men to a Wis
consin department and this farmers
milk company can be placed on Wis
consin basis and carried through"
Mr.. Refs urged in a closing plea to
the members of the company.
Claims Unfair Methods.
Cross examination of witnesses for
the state was undertaken after the
talk by Assistant Attorney General
I, Refs, who attempted to establish that
the so-called service charge set by the
milk producers cooperative associa-
ton as a special charge by farmers
within the organization, was move
toward coercion and discrimination
in violation Of the unfair practices
regulations of the state department
of markets.
One witnesses testified that he had
been given to understand that special
charge would be made against him if
! he refused to enter the association.
1t was brought out by E. D. Skinner.
Rock count farmer, that the Sturte-
want. Wright and Wagner Dairy com
pany of Beloit, had increased it's price
of milk to the consumer to ten cents
quart en- the ground that the
service charge paid to farmers had
been increased, making it necessary
to raise the cost of milk.
Expert on Stand.
Aaron Sapiro, counsel for the asso-
citation, through questioning develop
ed that the greater part of the milk
produced in the district~served by the
cooperative company was used for
manufacturing purposes and not sold
in fluid form to customers. He OBJ
iected to all questions by Mr.. Refs
that ended to bring out any indication
that the servie charge was unfair, or
discrimination against those outside
the organization.
The hearing was adjourned at noon
until 200 o'clock.
(Hupdreds of Kenosha county milk
producers have signed the contracts
with the new marketing company and
the action brought by the state will
be of greatest interest to these peo-
pie. The leaders in the big movement
for cooperative marketing of the milk
believed that the new contract had
solved the problem. A. C. Stoxen of
Bassett Station, has been one of the
leaders in the movement to get the
new company underway and many men
prominent in Kenosha county have
been active in advancing it,