WORK DONE OR PROJECTED 181 



RETAIL DAIRYMEN'S INTERESTS. 



Milk retailers in the towns are no less interested than milk 

 producers in the country in dispensing with the middleman 

 wholesaler and his profits ; yet in the one case as in the other 

 there may be practical dependence on the tender mercies 

 of a " milk trust " so long as those concerned act only as 

 individuals. Not only, therefore, are the dairy farmers 

 themselves combining, but the milk retailers, also, are 

 beginning to adopt a like policy. 



Some years ago there was formed in London a Retail 

 Dairymen's Association, the object of which was to provide 

 the retail dairymen of the Metropolis with the means of 

 safeguarding their own interests. The association secured 

 sundry trade reforms and other advantages, but the majority 

 of the retailers found themselves still prejudiced by having 

 to obtain their milk supplies through the wholesale con- 

 tractors who constituted the London milk trust. 



The question then arose whether, by means of combina- 

 tion, the retailers could not control their supplies indepen- 

 dently of the middlemen whom they had hitherto regarded 

 as " a necessary evil," but against whose " immense profits " 

 they were now disposed to rebel. It was felt, however, that 

 a combination of milk retailers would require to deal with 

 a combination of milk producers, in order to be certain of 

 getting adequate and regular supplies. 



A deputation was thereupon appointed to wait on the 

 secretary of the A. O. S., who gave all the assistance in his 

 power, with the result that the Retail Dairymen's Mutual 

 Supply, Ltd., was formed and registered under the Industrial 

 and Provident Societies Act, 1893. Whilst being a co- 

 operative society of milk retailers, the society was really 

 designed to take the place of the wholesaler for its members, 

 with the advantage that through affiliation with the central 

 body it would be brought into touch with the co-operative 

 societies of dairy farmers also affiliated thereto. By this 

 means supplies could be obtained from organised sources 

 with probably less friction than in the case of dealing with 



