1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 115 



had, however. In 1888 they tried again, and obtained two 

 cents more on a can for the summer ; and so on, until it has 

 been acknowledged (and this is the point which I wished to 

 bring out) by two of the contractors, who controlled more 

 than two-thirds of the milk that goes into Boston market, 

 that they had been compelled to pay one cent a can more to 

 the farmers of Massachusetts through the organization known 

 as the Milk Producers' Union. That is their own acknowl- 

 edgment, in answer to an accusation from the other side. 

 That amounts to something over four hundred thousand 

 dollars. 



Now, let us see what effect this has had on the cows. I 

 said that from 1882 to 1886 the shrinkage in the number of 

 cows was from one thousand to four thousand per year. 

 From 1886 until now the increase in the number of cows has 

 been from two thousand to forty-five hundred per year. 

 That tells a part of the story. It may be said that this 

 increase has been because of the establishment of creameries. 

 It is true that there has been an increase in the number of 

 creameries ; but that increase does not begin to answer the 

 question where the increase in the number of cows comes 

 from, because some creameries that were prosperous or 

 comparatively so four years ago are not any more prosper- 

 ous now, and have not any more cows. Why? Because 

 the milk goes somewhere else. 



Dr. Twitchell. Are the farmers connected with the 

 Milk Producers' Union securing all they think in justice 

 belongs to them ? 



Mr. Pitch. No, sir. 



Dr. Twitchell. Is not the reason because they do not 

 stand together? 



Mr. Fitch. I will answer that in a moment, I wish to 

 state carefully the exact reason which I would give, as sec- 

 retary of the Union, for any failure in the concern. In the 

 first place, as soon as farmers began to find out that there 

 was power in organization, that instant they began to 

 buy more cows, and that instant the amount of milk sent to 

 market began to increase ; and, as soon as it increased so 

 that those who handled it could not manage it all, they 

 began to complain of an overflow of milk. They said, 



