40 THE STORY OF MILK 



conditions both for producers and consumers. Several 

 attempts have been made from time to time by farmers 

 to combine to regulate prices and dictate the terms to 

 the middlemen. Such attempts have, however, in- 

 variably failed as long as they were built on false 

 economic principles and prompted by selfish interests 

 only. No farmers' association can be strong enough to 

 ignore the law of supply and demand, and it is only 

 quite recently that the Dairymen^s League has suc- 

 ceeded in influencing the market by taking into con- 

 sideration the actual cost of production of milk as 

 worked out by the agricultural colleges, and fixing the 

 price on a scientific basis. There is one other element 

 entering into the causes on which the price to the con- 

 sumers depends, namely. Transportation, and while 

 municipal boards of health are looking after the sanitary 

 conditions and prevention of adulteration. State and 

 Federal authorities are stepping in as moderators or 

 arbitrators to reconcile the interests of the Producers, 

 the Railroad Companies, the Distributors and the Con- 

 sumers. The next step in the development will no 

 doubt be towards full co-operation between producers 

 and consumers and, to a large extent, elimination of 

 the ''middlemen." 



It should not be forgotten, however, that while the 

 much abused middlemen in time past have been able to 

 dictate terms and prices and have often abused the 

 privilege^, they have at the same time used their in- 

 fluence and power to improve the milk supply. As the 

 supply of oil and gasoline has been perfected and cheap- 

 ened by the all-powerful Standard Oil Co. as a monop- 

 oly crushing all competition, so the ''Milk Trust" has 

 improved the distribution of milk and has built up the 



