228 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



We have been criticised some for paying our help a certain 

 dividend, and it may be open to criticism, but I still think we 

 did right and that it will work out well in the long run. Just 

 think of the people who are handling our milk for our farmers; 

 we want them loyal, and many times, when I cannot look after 

 them personally and they are by themselves, there are oppor- 

 tunities where they could take advantage if they were disposed 

 to, and slight this work. I think if the employees are used 

 decently, they are more likely to give returns in faithful service. 

 I have been criticised by a man who said, "I guess I will adopt 

 that and pay my hired man a bonus." I am not so sure but 

 that it would be a good idea. It may be a better thought than 

 you realize. 



I don't think the way they get along in Massachusetts com- 

 pares with the way we get along here in Maine. Still, I am 

 not objecting to our producers organizing, even if it does cost 

 something, and if I felt I had authority to say so, I should be 

 glad to have a committee come to our place from this Associa- 

 tion and advise with me; I would have been glad to have 

 advised with such a committee when I made the price last 

 December. 



Now, I agree with Mr. Pattee that we ought to have a one 

 price system and for my part, I would agree to such an arrange- 

 ment — providing they adopt our system. 



Mr. Pattee : I want to say to you dairymen that I believe 

 the Turner Centre system — so far as my knowdedge goes — is 

 the best system of milk buying there is in the country today. 

 T think under it you get the nearest to a fair deal of any system. 

 Let me say from my observation and experience that you ought 

 to be glad you have a man of the type of Mr. Bradford to 

 buy your milk. Some of the other dealers are quite differently 

 made up from what he is and, while I think it is a risk to trust 

 the price of your milk to the judgment of any one man, at the 

 same time, under this system I don't know of any man in New 

 England whom you could trust as well as Mr. Bradford. 



I am very glad that he agrees with us that a better under- 

 standing is a proper solution ; a lot of trouble with us in this 

 business is due to the fact that we do not get together. We 

 ought to have an organized body of milk farmers, taking in 



