46 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, 



agree to account to the dairyman for the value (on a particular day of 

 each month or the average of the month) of a pound of such cheese 

 for every 9 or 10 pounds (as agreed) of milk received (less the charge 

 of making, etc.,) or if butter is made, to account for the value (deter- 

 mined in same way as cheese) of a pound of butter for every 22J or 

 24 pounds (as may be agreed) of milk received (less the charge of 

 making, etc.) Prohibit the making of skim cheese entirely. It is 

 highly probable that some such arrangement — which would be per- 

 fectly fair and just — would achieve beneficient results to dairymen 

 and reward reasonably the proprietors of factories. As the business 

 is managed now, the proprietors assume no responsibility scarcely. 

 If their hired men make a mistake — add too much or too little ren- 

 net, heat to too high or low a degree, or otherwise injure a vat of 

 milk, by which loss ensues — neither the proprietors nor the em- 

 ployes sustain, as they ought, the loss. The dairymen usually sustain 

 all the losses, whether from mismanagement, negligence or wilful- 

 ness. It is said that every factory haB its graveyard, and if these 

 graveyards could talk, a tale would be told disagreeably interesting 

 and instructive to dairymen. 



I must not be understood as casting any censure upon, or find- 

 ing any fault with the proprietors of factories. Business is open to 

 all, and if they have simply availed themselves of opportunities to 

 make money — without risk or much capital — furnished them by the 

 dairymen, they are entiled to commendation for their penetration 

 and enterprise. 



Milk perishes quickly, and to become merchantable, generally, 

 must be converted at once into articles of food less perishable, and 

 this work of converting their milk into saleable commodities is there- 

 fore properly the business of the dairymen. It is to their interest 

 that this work shall be done economically, cheaply and excellently, 

 and not until they do it themselves, or see that it is done, need they 

 expect the highest remunerative results. If they are so unwise as to 

 furnish the opportunity, they ought not to complain if clear-headed 

 and energetic merchants step outside of their vocation and engage in 

 the — to them — thriving business of manufacturing butter and cheese 

 out of the milk furnished by the dairymen, at a high, fixed price 

 and of the kind and quality suitable to their interests. Shrewd men 

 not only have the right, but always will, when permitted, seize upon 

 a chance ofi'ered to make money, and I admire the proprietors of 

 factories for the genius displayed in their government of dairymen. 



