COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 137 



cialized as to be suited only for this particular purpose. 

 Thus it is difficult and expensive to shift to some other 

 line of work in case milk production does not for a time 

 appear profitable. 



There is often no alternative outlet for milk which will 

 adequately repay the use of the equipment installed for 

 the purpose of supplying milk for city use, since, as al- 

 ready pointed out (Chapter III, Section 2; Chapter IV, 

 Section 8); milk for the various alternative uses usually 

 commands a lower price. 1 Even though producers were 

 content with the lower prices offered by these competing 

 demands, facilities for making such demands effective are 

 often lacking in the milk-producing areas about our large 

 cities, except in so far as the large dealers have equipped 

 themselves to utilize their own surplus to the best ad- 

 vantage. 



In addition to the above mentioned weakness of the 

 individual dairyman as a bargainer, there is the fact that 

 his product must be sold quickly and regularly. Milk 

 cannot be allowed to accumulate. Nor can production be 

 halted by even a few days while a new market is being 

 sought or satisfactory prices being arranged. Each day's 

 milk must be delivered to the consumer as quickly as pos- 



1 The U. S. Bureau of Markets reported average monthly net prices to pro- 

 ducers supplying milk for different uses during 1919 as follows: 



Milk for city distribution, per cwt $3-5 



Cheese manufacturing (average net price approximated by multiplying 

 Plymouth, Wis., cheese board price of twins by 10 and adding i$ as 

 compensation for value of whey), per cwt 3 .04 



Butter manufacturing (average net price approximated by multiplying 

 the average monthly quotation of 92 score butter on the New York 

 market plus 3^ by the basic butterfat content of 3.5 per cent milk and 

 adding 75^ as compensation for the skim milk used on the farm) 2 . 98 



Milk for condensing, per cwt 2 .91 



Market Reporter, April 17, 1920, p. 253. 



