152 THE MARKETING OF WHOLE MILK 



at Youngstown, Ohio. This company is at present active 

 in the Pittsburg district. 



The most conspicuous example of early organization 

 in the Middle West is that in the Chicago milk district. 

 As far back as 1887 an organization called the Milk 

 Shippers' Union of the Northwest existed and had pro- 

 posed an ambitious scheme for the formation of a great 

 company to monopolize the entire milk business of 

 Chicago. Any farmer producing one can of milk a day 

 was to be entitled to at least one share of stock, and no 

 non-producer was allowed to belong to the company. The 

 obstacles foreseen by milk dealers, who prophesied failure 

 of the plan, proved true. The producers were not pre- 

 pared to organize an association sufficiently strong to 

 control a territory so vast, shipping milk from so many 

 different directions.^ 



The next effort at organization did not come until 1896,* 

 when a large number of milk shippers tributary to Chicago 

 organized themselves into a union with locals at every 

 station, for the purpose of protection against irresponsible 

 milk dealers ' and to promote the mutual interests of milk 

 shippers. This association was incorporated as "The 

 Milk Shippers' Union. "^ Towards the beginning of 1900 

 the union, taking the stand that tuberculosis does not 

 affect the milk of a cow, was active in fighting against 

 control in regard to this matter.^ The Milk Shippers' 

 Union was moderately active for about ten years. Its 

 activities had largely to do with the setting of prices. A 



• RurcU New Yorker, Sept. 17, 1887. 



' Letter from W. J. Robinson, Sales Mgr. of the Milk Producers' Coop. 

 Marketing Co. 



' Hoard's Dairyman, April i6, 1897. 



* New York Produce Review, Nov. 24, 1897. 

 " Ibid., Nov. 29, 1899. 



