The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-22
DAIRY INDUSTRY OF
CITY Hopes TO END
Milk WAR soon
County Agent Calls Meeting;
Seeks to Settle Price.
Cutting Dispute
LOCAL SHORTAGE FEARED
Retail Price Reduced From TO-
to J Cents Since First Of
Month

Engaged in = milk war since May l,
Bismarck milk distributors and dairy
men who sell direct to the consumer.
will attempt to settle their differ
ences at meeting called by County
Agent H. Q. Putnam at his office for
Wednesday evening.
With the continued drought Great
ing q situation which makes feed for
cattle higher in price and difficult
to secure, Putnam will attempt to
secure for the dairy producers the
price OF SITS per hundred pounds Of
raw milk. formerly paid by the dis
tributors. The price in effect at the
present time Is $3.50.
The prices quoted above are for
milk containing . IS butterfat con-
tent. For every point above IS, 3
cents more per 100 pounds Is paid.
Unless an agreement Is reached be-
tween the opposing factions at once,
Putnam said, serious milk shortage
threatens the city. He explained this
BY saying that the producers would
Be forced to cut their herds to the
minimum II prices for their products
were not such that they could afford
to continue In business.
Views Are Conflicting
Interviews with members Of the
opposing factions Tuesday resulted In
. conflict Of views as to where the
responsibility for the prosecuting
lies.
Since the first Of the month, the
retail price Of milk has been reduced
from 10 cents to Z cents per quart.
A cut Of one cent q quart was made
on May l. On May II or there
abouts the present price went into ef-
feet.
Lewis ]. Garske, operating q dairy
farm one mile southeast Of the city,
and Chris Yegen. dairyman. six and
one-half miles southeast Of here. who
delivers approximately 1900 quarts Of
milk daily to residents, were forced
to reduce their prices after the op-
posing faction solicited their custom
ers at reduced figure May /, Garske
said.
J. p. Spies. manager Of the Bis
marck Dairy Co., and w. e. Doty,
manager Of the Bridgeman- Russell
Co., contradicted Garske's statement
They said the price cutting actually
began last winter and that 0arske
started 1t himself.
Basis for tho Fight
The basis Of the fight between dis
tributors and dairymen dates back to
q time when dairymen began operat-
Ing city delivery routes, soliciting
business which previously had gone to
other distributors.
Garske charges that competing
milk distributors made q complete
canvass Of his customer list May /,
Offering pasteurized milk at cents
. quart. The regular price then was
10 cents. On May II, he said, they
reduced the price still further, to
seven cents quart, and he and
Yegen fell In lire with q similar re-
duction.
Garske deplored the fact that the
price Of milk should BE- reduced at
this time because Of increasing costs
due to the feed shortage.
Spies said he had made inquiries
both locally and Ut Warrington q to
whether Or not there was code AUTH
GRITTY to govern the Bismarck situa-
ton. There Is no MIRA setup for the
dairy industry, he said, and added
that washington had told him to 60
ahead and solve his own problems.
He added that the MIRA does, how
ever. apply to the working hours Of
his employees.
The entire question, in al Of its
various phases, Is to be brought to
the attention Of the director Of the
state recovery council, r. B. Cum
Minis, when the meeting Is held at
County Agent Putnam's offices We'd
nesday evening. He win aid in the