194 AGRICUIvTURS OF MAINg. 



divided and with little opportunity to concentrate work on any 

 one branch; a fact which has proved that less subjects could 

 have received better attention, though probably some worthy 

 ones would have suffered, and this condition could only have 

 been overcome by having a larger force at work. Our atten- 

 tion was first directed however, to a condition which existed 

 among the creameries, viz. : The competition had become severe 

 and each was striving to its utmost to hold its present patrons 

 and secure new ones from competitors, until the matter of qual- 

 ity of product had become a secondary consideration, for if one 

 creamery were to refuse the product of a patron on that account, 

 he could take it to a competing creamery and have it accepted. 

 This often meant that the patron would influence enough of hi& 

 neighbors to go with him to break up a route, and not infre- 

 quently whole routes had been known to change because of a 

 reprimand, or threatened cut in price for delivering sour or 

 defective cream. 



Not one of the creameries wanted this kind of product but so 

 keen had become the competition, that each was adopting such 

 tactics to secure the influence of disgruntled patrons. Collectors 

 were often responsible for this practice, because in their zeal 

 to secure more patrons and a larger load, which meant more 

 money, they forgot quality, for to them quantity was the factor 

 which increased • their pay regardless of the quality of the 

 product they were bringing to the factory. 



In view of this condition, an invitation was sent to all the 

 creamery managers in the State, to meet at the office of the 

 Commissioner of Agriculture, with the hope of forming an 

 association which would ultimately overcome this particular 

 difficulty and in other ways assist in improving the quality and 

 conditions generally. As a result such an association was 

 formed and at a subsequent meeting, by-laws were adopted and 

 also a resolution which bound representatives of over ninety 

 per cent of the money invested in creameries in the State, to 

 pay a premium of at least three cents per pound for sweet cream 

 over sour or defective cream, and they also agreed not to take 

 defective cream from a competitor's patron, except at the same 

 discount. This act met with some opposition from patrons and 

 some creameries complained that competitors were not fair, but 



