The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-29

opinion lt must oe allowed Co func. slon ae peck eillcaency and peak production.
 an raRhk legs axguna that tha hearing clearly establishes the eae. ulerS neod eor an lncroazea income fer his milk. How can this lncgease ke NccempllEheoR
 ZAEee Wrysl There arc threo possible WayS. and enly tArUo Ways, Ia which the oalEy farmer can ee paid Q higher return for hls product
 First, w0 could allow eho farmer @ charge the mllk dealer mOle and. ln turn. Wa could allow tho mllk dealer Co charge the puhllo moee. That, ok course, Q the way Q sltu- atl0n likD this would 0e handled iIA ordinary times, But the times through which wo are living gre not orclnary. A haRfNe urlco for mtlk lS enc mere step towards inElaeian. President Roosevelt'S Hold the Line" Order oe three weeks ago clearly eliminates this method Of relieving Che dairy farmers prob- lem. This Order stated that no fur ther increases would ho allowed in the price Of any cost-of- diving product. in Washington last week. found Q gram determination on the part oe all tho officials with whom I talked to sse that this Order is carried out.
 An right. tets examine our sec ond choice,
 Choace Number Two Is the lower inn of the cost Of milk distribution. if it costs the &ealer less Co deliver your milk ae your door step. he could afford Co pay the farmer more and stu maintain his present in- come.
 A mslk snnlng plan hes been worked out for tho state oe Oonnec- ticut which in most parts of tho state would allow only milk truck Co cover each street. 1e has been estimated that this plan could save the milk dealers between three quarters Of Q cent Go Q cent and . quarter on every quart,
 Three or four weeks ago, urged Connecticut dealers to consider tho adoption of this plan on Q volun- tavy basis, However. there is . con- siderable amount of opposition from dealers, consumers and from labor. Many consumers do not hk0 tho idea of giving up tho mllkman from whom they have been buying milk for years. Some milk truck drivers feel that they would be forced from the trade which they have learned over Q long period of years into work to which they are unaccus- toned,
 Government Suhslay
 Now let's consider our third ohoice. In Canada and England. when farmers or any other group actually require more income to maintain their production, . sub- sldy is provided by the government to protect the consumer against . resulting increase in price. In Gam ada, tho subsidy on milk is roughly two cents on every quart, This sub sidy Is paid to the dealer as Q pro- tectiOn for Canadian families against an increase In the cost of living. It Is actually Q consumer subsidy.
 For the past eighteen months, through such subsidies the Cana dlans and British have kept prices definitely in check. I believe 1t would be fair to say that in Cam ada and England, thanks largely Co subsidies, the danger of imitation has been licked.
 Some months ago. you used Co hear people say that subsidies would be too expensive. This argument has pretty well disappeared. While the food subsidies in England cost four hundred million dollars e year. they have eliminated rises in the price of food products which would have totalled many. many times that sum.
 However, there are some good arguments against subsidies and these arguments are expressed with vigor by many sincere and con- scientious people. It is often eug- gested. for instance. that subsidies might get out of control. It is argued that if it were possible for Congress to grant subsidies today, 1t would be equally possible for Con- gress to withdraw those subsidies tomorrow.
 Now, have outlined what I bee iieve you will agree are the only three ways in which we could jn- crease the price which the fai-1ier gets for milk. Each one of these methods would give the farmer the extra money which he believes he needs. One method has been de- finitely eliminated by the Pres lkient's Order to "Hold the Present Price Level" Each of the other two definite disadvantages which are obvious to anyone.
 Complicated Choice
 This situation IS rather typical Of the position in which Government administrators often find them selves. The fields of price control. rationing control and manpower control are immensely complicated. Rarely Is the government given a choice between Q right way and c wrong way. Almost invariably, the choice. as in this case, lies between two or three methods. each ono of which presents serious problems.
 Sometimes farmers speak with considerable feeling when they compare their incomes with those Of an industrial woEaeF's. In many eases, the man who used to' work their farms c year ago are now employed in war factories at two. three and four times their former wages. With industrial wages at their present levels, our farmers maintain that other citizens can well afford to pay higher prices for food products.
 However. we must remember klaas everybody doesn't work in a defense plant. There are tens of thousands Of teachers, municipal and state employees, o1Iieo workers, in-