COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 147 



Sherman Anti-Trust Law. 1 In February, 1913, the New 

 England Milk Producers' Association was formed. 2 In 

 December, 1916, a movement was started to extend the 

 organization over all New England, with subdivisions 

 dealing with other markets than Boston. This movement 

 met with considerable success, and after the laws of Mas- 

 sachusetts were amended for that purpose, it was incorpo- 

 rated as the present organization in June, 191 J. 3 



About 1883 tne m *lk producers along some of the main 

 lines of railroad running into Philadelphia organized to 

 resist the exactions of milk dealers. Soon afterwards 

 producers along other roads organized, but, because they 

 were not prepared to take care of the surplus, none of 

 these organizations were able to withstand the pressure 

 brought to bear by the milk dealers. 4 For four years no 

 further attempt was made by the producers at organizing, 

 but in the winter of 1887, when the dealers put the price 

 of milk down below cost of production, organizations were 

 again formed, and this time upon a basis of cooperation 

 which made them sufficiently strong to compel the dealers 

 to pay the price or go without milk. Provision was made 

 to handle the surplus and maintain price. In each neigh- 

 borhood from which milk was shipped, a local organization 

 was formed. These along each railroad were formed into 

 a general association, which sold milk to dealers and hotels. 5 

 It maintained a plant in Philadelphia to which all unsold 

 milk was taken and made into butter. 6 It attempted to 

 pay shippers milk prices for all they produced and pro- 



1 N. H. Extension Bulletin No. 8, p. 42; letter from R. Pattee. 



2 Ibid., No. 8, p. 42. 



3 Letter from R. Pattee, managing director N. E. M. P. A., May 10, 1919. 



4 Rural New Yorker, Aug. 3, 1895. 

 Ibid. 



6 Letter from J. Walter Pancoast, Woodstown, N. J., May 17, 1919. 



