230 APPENDIX E 



their milk supervision. Confusion and demoralization in 

 the milk trade through the adoption of differing local stand- 

 ards are thus avoided. As long, however, as local organiza- 

 tion and resources, particularly as to laboratory facilities, 

 remain deficient, effective grading throughout a State can- 

 not become an accomplished fact. The logical function of 

 state authorities is to supervise adequately the supply of 

 each town until it reaches the town confines, but in any case 

 final tests and the enforcement of grading are matters of 

 local control. 



The economic difficulty has recently become acute in 

 New York State. The Legislature of 1916 authorized a 

 special committee to investigate the market conditions of 

 agricultural products in general, including milk as a subject 

 of chief importance. Senator Charles O. Wicks, introducing 

 the resolution, is reported to have spoken as follows : 



"The farmers," he said, "are getting less for their milk than they 

 were getting two years ago, despite the fact that the price of feed 

 and the wages of their help have soared in the meantime. The 

 farmers are compelled to sell their milk for less than three and one- 

 half cents a quart. I do not know whether it is due to a combine of 

 the big middlemen or not, but I do know that the dairy farmers 

 are suffering severely and that many of them are being forced out 

 of business. 



"A situation might thus readily arise which would be very serious 

 to the consumers in such large communities as New York City. 

 Something should be done to remedy the situation." * 



The above-mentioned committee is interested in markets, 

 prices, and methods of marketing, including economic ques- 

 tions connected with the milk industry. 



The price controversy between producers and dealers in 

 the New York market came to an acute issue in the fall of 

 1916. The organized producers withheld large quantities 



* New York Times, April 4, 1916. 



