Smyrna times., 1932-11-02
ANOTHER MILK
CUT FOR FARMERS
Smyrna Clayton Dairymen
Much Disconnected Over
the Situation
ANOTHER CUT FORCED

Smyrna-Clayton farmers, who
haul milk daily to the creamery at
Clayton are chagrinned and much
disconnected over another cut in
milk price. The monthly milk
check which has meant so much to
the farmers of this vicinity, has
been dwindEng until now there is
scant or very little profit to be OBJ
tanned. Coupled with this are rules
and regulations that further hamp-
er them and to say there is gloom
among the Smyrna-Clayton farm
ers, is putting it mildly. Beginning
yesterday, November the first, the
retail price of milk was reduced
one cent on both quarts and pints
in the city of Philadelphia. The
above announcement which was
made by Clyde L. King, recently
appointed arbiter between milk
producers and dealers, brought a
storm of protest from Delaware,
Maryland, New Jersey and Penn
sylvania farmers to whom about
40 per cent of the reduction will be
passed despite their plea that they
are not now receiving enough for
their milk to pay the cost of pro-
ducing it. Instead of getting a lit
tie over five cents a quart for their
"basic quality milk and two cents
a quart for their surplus, they will
get about 4 1-2 cents for basic
quality and the same two cents a
quart for surplus under the new
ruling. Thus the dairymen claim,
the distributors will get their Tex
horbitant" profit, while the farm
ers, unable to meet the expenses
under the old prices, are obliged to
take less or lose what they have.
According to Kings statement, af-
ter November / farmers will re-
ceive $218 instead Of $40 per 100
pounds for about 70 per cent. of
their milk, known as basic guam
tity," while they will continue to
get a little over two cents a quart
for the surplus of 80 per cent. As
one dairyman expresses it: King
was appointed at a meeting of
dealers and representatives of the
Milk Producers Association in the
hope that the farmer would get
higher prices for his milk at least
high enough to pay his expenses" !"
a dairyman declared, but the net
result has been that they will get
porous days the farmer got about
seven cents a quart for his milk
and the dealer sold it for about IA
cents. Now they get less than four
cents, and the dealer is still getting
between 10 and IA cents for it. The
dealer gets the profit and the farm
er who bears the brunt of produc-
ing it must take the little end of
the stick. The result is that their
promises to be lively protest at
the meeting Of the Interstate Milk
Producers Association in Phila6el
phia the last of this month. Farm
ers are seeking a fiat price of half
of the retail price of the milk, with
no basic quantity" system to
make further inroads into their re-
ceipts. Instead, they would substi-
tute a straight weight or quart
price to be paid the farmer. Ac-
cording to King, the new reduction
is necessary because production
has increased and consumption has
decreased" The price reduction as
above announced will affect hun
dreds of dairymen in Southern New
/ Jersey, Delaware and the Eastern
Shore of Maryland, although the
retail price cut applies only in the
PENNSYLVANIA area. However, there
is a growing desire not only among
the Smyrna-Clayton farmers, but
farmers of every state of the union
to organize and cooperate and be-
come so united they can dictate
prices on the basis of a reasonable
profit. The retailers cannot carry
on business without the milk and
in the last analysis if the farmers
realize their power, they can die
tate terms.
InnIED