THE MILK QUESTION. 29 



cents, the year through, and hence believe the farmer's price 

 should be nearly or quite four cents, yielding him an actual 

 profit of at least three cents a gallon. This is none too much — 

 certainly no more than the producer's share ; it amounts to not 

 over six cents a day on every cow in the herd. 



A fair price for the farmer is the starting-point. Next, a 

 fair charge for whatever transportation may be necessary by 

 road or rail, and then a fair compensation for the service of 

 collection, distribution and delivery. The sum of tlicso give* 

 the final cost to the consumer. The intermediate charges — 

 the shares received by the middle men — must be kept within 

 bounds, for the retail price must have a proper relation to the 

 cost of other articles of food. The consumer must not be 

 called upon to pay too much, and need not be if the business 

 is properly sj'tematized. 



The intermediate charges necessarily difl'er with localities, 

 but may be considered with approximate accuracy in three 

 classes. 



1st. Where the milk passes directly from the farm to the 

 family, producers themselves delivering. This is usual in 

 many of our villages, towns and smaller cities, and atibrds the 

 best opportunity^ for giving satisfaction to both parties. One 

 cent and a half a quart will usually cover the cost of delivering 

 in such cases on a fairly good route, and this enables the sale 

 of milk at an average of five cents and a half for the year, 

 and yet leave four cents a (juart for the producer. But when 

 every other farmer near a village undertakes to establish a 

 milk route, and neighbors compete and reduce the price ta 

 five and four cents, selling milk at once becomes a losing busi- 

 ness. And it deserves to be so ; I have no sympathy to waste 

 on the sutferers in such cases. The consumers then get all the 

 profit. 



There is no reason why milk consumers in our villages should 

 not be required to pay six cents per quart for a good article 

 the year round. At this price it is economical food for the 

 poorest people. At five cents it is much cheaper than any 

 other standard article of food. With good boneless beef (the 

 solid round steak for example) at 12 cents a pound, milk is 

 really worth more than G cents a quart for food. 



2d. Near our towns and small cities, where one middle man 



