The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-09
MILK FARMERS
DECLARE WAR
ON DAIRY POOL
Charge Producers Earnings
Are Too Low; Band to
Fight Combine.
RETAIL G0UGE HINTED
Assert Consumers Pay 40
Cents a Gallon; Cost
Price II Cents.

Charging prices paid milk pro-
ducers are too low, group of dairy
farmers in the Indianapolis district
has declared war on an eight-county
milk pool organized recently.
Local independent organizations
of dairy farmers are being formed
at meetings being held in various
townships in an effort to obtain a
higher price for producers, it was
announced today.
Price paid for milk by Indian
apolis distributors is the lowest in
any section of the country, we have
been informed. said Emsley W..
Johnson, attorney and owner of a
dairy herd, who is speaking at meet
ings of dairy farmers.
Owners in this vicinity are SELL
ing milk for an average of II cents
a gallon, some much lower, while
the retail price averages 40 cents a
gallon.
Propose u. S. Inquiry
eve propose to ask the United
States secretary of agriculture to
loan us a government expert to con-
duct an investigation to determine
whether we are getting fair price
for our milk.
TN the opinion of some experts,
the producer should receive half of
the retail price of milk. We are be-
ing forced to sell milk below cost of
production now. Some of us would
like to quit the business, but under
present conditions we can't even sell
our cows"
Approximately $50 dairy farmers
attended meeting held at the New
Augusta school Tuesday night. Rep
resentatives of the independent
group declared they called the
meeting to protest pool conditions,
while pool officials insisted the
meeting was one of a series being
held by the pool to explain its
workings.
Other Sessions Called
johnson said similar meetings had
been held by the independent group
at Clermont and Bunker Hill this
week, and that another would be
held in Greenwood Saturday night.
other meeting at New Augusta next
Wednesday, according to James R.
Moore, pool publicity director.
The milk pool agreement was
reached at meeting Nov. 20 at
tended by majority of Indianapolis
milk distributors and by repre-
sentatives Of the $500 or $500 dairy
producers in eight counties.
1t was formed through the newly
organized Central Indiana Dairy
mems Association, Inc, of which
Carl L. Hedges is manager.
In announcing the pool agreement
Hedges said it was expected to re-
suit in a more uniform price for
producers, without affecting the
price paid by consumers.
Protesting farmers charge the
milk pool contract does not set a
definite price and that to sign it
would be ruinous to their business.
Denies Prices Are Low
The price paid producers is regu-
lated, Hedges said, by a committee
composed of three distributors and
three producers.
Counties represented in the pool
are Marion, Hancock, Hamilton
johnson, Shelby, Morgan, Hendricks
and Boone.
Denial that prices paid producers
here are lower than elsewhere was
made by Moore.
Retail prices for milk in this dis
trict are lower than in other large
cities CT the country" he said
Local producers are paid higher in
proportion to the retail price than
producers in any other metropolitan
district in the central west"