THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 351 



APPENDIX H. 



COMMUNICATIONS FROM MR. HERBERT P. CARTER SUBMITTING DETAILS FOR 

 ESTABLISHMENT OF LARGE DAIRY FARM FOR SUPPLYING MILK TO THE 

 WASHINGTON MARKET. 



MANOR DAIRY Co., 

 Arlington, Va., November 1, 1910. 

 Mr. J. L. WILLIGE. 



DEAR SIR : I should be glad if you would look over the inclosed paper, which 

 is merely an outline sketch. I should also be very pleased if you could come 

 out and see our dairy, which was only organized this year. The matter of the 

 milk supply is simply a matter of straightforward business, I believe, which can 

 easily be settled by competent business men. I will try to see you very soon. 

 Yours, truly, 



HERBERT P. CARTER. 



CONSUMERS' MILK ASSOCIATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



It is of the utmost importance to residents in the District to have a pure and 

 abundant supply of milk. 



This supply can be obtained only by generous treatment of the farmers in 

 the matter of payment, together with a demand for milk of high quality. 



If the farmers find that it pays to supply good milk, they will soon increase 

 their facilities until all the demands of the District are satisfactorily met. 



At the present time they have not the necessary capital to submit to the tuber- 

 culin test for their herds and to meet all the requirements of the health depart- 

 ment. Even if they could do so, the price which the dealers are willing to pay 

 is insufficient to compensate them for the outlay of capital and the labor and 

 trouble involved. 



A system could easily be inaugurated of more direct dealing between the con- 

 sumer and the farmer than obtains under the existing system, and the result 

 would be a better article for the consumer at no higher price than he has been 

 accustomed to pay, and far more satisfactory conditions for the farmer. 



It is unnecessary here to dwell on conditions which are well known in regard 

 to the scarcity of milk and the unwillingness of farmers to have their herds 

 tuberculin tested. It is believed that some such scheme as that which is 

 explained below would meet all the difficulties of the situation. 



If the farmers can be insured against loss and a satisfactory price secured 

 for their milk, all difficulties in the way of meeting the requirements of the 

 health department and of the consumer would speedily be overcome. 



OUTLINE OF PROPOSED SCHEME FOR THE FORMATION OF A CONSUMERS' MILK 



ASSOCIATION. 



A company to be incorporated with sufficient capital to carry out the follow- 

 ing objects: 



1. The establishment of one or more stations for the bottling and delivery 

 of milk in v^ashington, with all the necessary equipment. 



2. The making of loans to farmers to enable them to submit their herds to 

 the tuberculin test without delay, to replace diseased by healthy cattle, and to 

 bring their equipment up to the standard required by the association. These 

 loans would be secured by the cattle in the farmer's possession, or other ap- 

 proved security, and would be repaid by the deduction of a reasonable sum from 

 the price paid to the farmer for every gallon of milk shipped by him. He 

 would be under contract to ship a certain minimum to the association. 



An additional security for these loans would be the compensation by the 

 Legislatures of Virginia and Maryland if any should be voted for cattle 

 (slaughtered after reacting to the test. Compensation is already given in the 

 District. 



The financial assistance indicated in the second of the above two objects is 

 the key to the present situation. The association can gain the good will of 

 the farmers, give them a satisfactory return for their products, and at the 

 same time earn handsome dividends for the stockholders. 



