96 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



insisted upon the price and then began a boy- 

 cott of the distributors who refused to grant 

 a small increase, the latter were brought to 

 grant the increased price. Immediately a storm 

 of protest was aroused against the dairymen 

 and there were widespread accusations of ef- 

 forts to profiteer in the face of the fact that 

 the dairyman was merely asking for a price 

 somewhat closer to the cost of production. The 

 press denounced the farmers and stirred all 

 sorts of consumers' organizations to protest. 



Following this popular clamor the attorney- 

 generals of some states and district attorneys 

 began to prepare legal proceedings against the 

 leaders of the dairymen's organization. These 

 authorities declared that in meeting to discuss 

 the price of milk farmers were violating the 

 state anti-trust laws. Indictments were re- 

 turned in a few cases and this so stirred the 

 dissatisfaction among dairymen as to bring 

 about a critical situation. In some instances the 

 authorities went even further, arresting and 

 throwing into jail with scant ceremony the lead- 

 ers of dairymen's organizations. 



In an effort to bring order out of the turmoil, 

 several state governors appointed milk com- 

 missions to study the situation. The commis- 



