1135 
The  Milk  Fight  Comes  to  a  Head 
Better  Prices  in  Sight 
AN  IMPORTANT  PLAN.— The  plan  proposed  by 
the  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets  to  sell  milk  in 
New  York  City  has  caused  more  publicity  in  the  city 
press  and  more  discussion  during  the  last  month  than 
any  other  one  food  problem  that  has  been  considered  in 
many  a  day.  The  city  papers  have  discussed  it  in  col¬ 
umns  with  head  lines  across  the  entire  page,  and  con¬ 
sumers  and  dealers  have  held  conferences  on  it.  The 
milk  investigation  and  the  suggestion  that  milk  might 
be  shut  off  from  the  city  by  producers  no  doubt  helped 
concentrate  attention  to  the  only  practical  plan  pro¬ 
posed  to  do  justice  to  producers  and  at  the  same  time 
protect  the  consumer  from  an  unwarranted  increase  of 
prices.  Producers  have  also  discussed  the  plan  and 
approved  it.  While  the  Department  has  definitely 
stated  that  it  had  no  purpose  to  disturb  existing  busi¬ 
ness.  some  of  the  dealers  have  feared  that  it  would  dis¬ 
turb  present  conditions.  Of  course  it  would  disturb 
present  conditions.  That  is  what  it  is  for;  but  it  need 
not  disturb  any  business  engaged  in  the  economic  dis¬ 
tribution  of  milk.  If  the  dealers  meet  the  proposition 
in  a  fair  business  spirit,  there  need  he  no  disturbance. 
It  will  in  fact  remove  some  of  the  troubles  they  now 
have,  and  the  concern  they  always  feel  about  a  regular 
supply  of  milk.  The  disturbance  could  only  come,  if 
they  continue  to  domineer  over  producers  rather  than 
treat  them  as  business  men. 
A  BUSINESS  PROBLEM.— They  will  treat  the 
sale  of  milk  now  as  a  business  problem  for  the  simple 
reason  that  they  know  this  plan  put  in  i>ractical  oper¬ 
ation  would  drive  every  one  of  them  out  of  business  if 
they  attempted  to  fight  it.  The  plan  needs  the  dealers 
for  city  distribution,  but  it  can  be  operated  without 
them.  The  dealers,  on  the  other  hand,  need  the  milk, 
and  they  cannot  get  along  without  it.  They  would  not 
be  afraid  of  a  strike  pure  and  simple,  because  they 
know  that  all  farmers  will  not  continue  for  very  long 
to  spill  milk  into  the  streets  after  producing  it.  Such 
a  plan  would  also  alienate  the  sympathy  of  consumers, 
and  after  a  temporary  disturbance  work  to  the  advan¬ 
tage  of  the  dealer.  The  city  people  want  their  milk. 
The  interest  of  the  producer  is  that  he  gets  it  and  all 
he  wants  of  it.  With  abundance  of  milk  in  the  city 
for  sale  at  a  fair  price  under  State  control  the  people 
and  the  State  will  find  a  way  to  distribute  it.  If  the 
dealers  refuse,  they  and  not  the  farmers  are  the  “strik¬ 
ers”  ;  and  new  concerns  will  gladly  take  up  the  work  of 
distributor.  A  contract  could  probably  be  made  any  day 
with  responsible  concerns  for  deliveries  at  a  much  less 
price  than  the  present  cost  of  distribution. 
PROSPECTS  OF  VICTORY.— The  victory  for  the 
producers  is  already  seven-eighths  won.  Dealers  have 
already  promised  to  discuss  higher  prices  with  the  De¬ 
partment.  It  must  be  said  that  some  new  and  able  men 
have  come  prominently  into  the  distribution  companies. 
They  have,  been  made  to  see  the  producer's  side  of  the 
problem  and  they  discuss  it  in  a  way  to  make  the  situa¬ 
tion  ;ery  hopeful  for  a  satisfactory  adjustment.  At 
the  expiration  of  Present  contracts,  October  first .  fann¬ 
ers  will  pet  wore  money  for  their  milk.  The  Depart¬ 
ment  has  already  demonstrated  that  milk  can  be  sold 
in  New  York  for  more  money  than  the  big  dealers  have 
been  paying.  It  has  actually  sold  the  milk,  and  for  sev¬ 
eral  co-operative  dairy  associations,  at  from  20  to  40 
cents  a  cun  above  the  dealers’  schedule  of  prices.  This 
demonstration  leaves  no  room  for  doubt  or  argument. 
The  milk  is  worth  more  than  the  producers  have  been 
getting.  It  can  be  sold  for  more.  The  plan  is  prac¬ 
tical.  The  producers  are  ready  for  it;  and  nothing  re¬ 
mains  but  to  complete  the  local  organizations,  and  place 
the  sale  of  the  milk  in  the  hands  of  the  Department  as 
agent  to  make  the  sales  and  to  see  that  the  milk  is  dis¬ 
tributed  to  the  people  who  want  it.  The  present  deal¬ 
ers  will  continue  to  do  the  distribution.  That  is  their 
business,  and  they  are  not  going  to  stop  one  side  and 
allow  their  business  to  fall  into  other  hands.  The  situ¬ 
ation  is  in  the  producers’  hands,  and  it.  must  be  made 
permanent. 
PROBLEMS  TO  BE  MET.— The  interests  of  pro- 
dueers,  however,  require  more  than  an  immediate  ad¬ 
vance  in  the  price  paid  them.  They  want  no  temporary 
adjustments  or  half-way  business.  The  price  must  be 
fair  and  right  and  full  and  the  business  must  he  put 
on  a  basis  that  will  prevent  it  from  slipping  back  into 
the  old  conditions.  Producers  must  see  that  consumers 
get  the  milk  at  a  reasonable  price  in  order  to  increase 
consumption  and  avoid  a  surplus.  The  dealers  will 
pay  the  extra  price  to  farmers,  but  they  will  seek  to 
add  it  and  more  to  the  price  to  the  consumer.  If  car¬ 
ried  too  far  this  would  reduce  consumption  and  in¬ 
crease  the  surplus.  With  the  increased  price  it  is 
reasonable  to  expect  that  production  will  be  increased, 
and  unless  consumption  is  also  increased  the  price  can 
not  be  maintained.  The  plan  of  the  Department  pro¬ 
vides  for  this  contingency.  Do  not  let  us  lose  sight  of 
this  important  feature. 
THE  MILK  INVESTIGATION.— The  Wicks  Com¬ 
mittee  has  discovered  nothing  that  was  not  already  well 
known.  It  will  discover  nothing  that  we  have  not  al¬ 
ready  known  and  expressed  ;  but  it  will  give  official  ex¬ 
pression  to  facts  that  the  Legislature  did  not  know ; 
and  there  will  no  longer  be  any  excuse  to  delay  the 
means  of  relief.  The  Department  offered  a  bill  to 
cover  the  needs  of  the  dairy  industry  last  Winter.  The 
Gtte  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
legislative  leaders  refused  to  believe  the  conditions  de¬ 
manded  it,  and  defeated  the  bill.  Now  its  own  com¬ 
mittee  has  verified  the  Department’s  information ;  and 
there  can  no  longer  be  excuse  for  denying  the  means  to 
establish  an  open  competitive  market  for  milk  under  the 
supervision  of  the  Department.  This  will  stimulate 
production  and  consumption.  It  will  cause  dairy  farms 
to  be  operated  to  their  full  capacity  and  thus  reduce 
the  cost  of  production.  It  will  regulate  prices;  and  re¬ 
juvenate  and  restore  the  great,  dairy  industry  of  the 
State  of  New  York. 
Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
204  Franklin  St.,  New  York  City 
The  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets  has  issued 
the  following  order  to  take  effect  September  1st.  1910: 
“Every  person  or  persons,  corporation  or  corporations, 
engaged  in  the  business  of  jobbing,  wholesaling  or  re¬ 
tailing  eggs,  shall,  before  offering  or  exposing  for  sale 
any  eggs  which  have  at.  any  time  been  stored  in  a  cold 
storage  warehouse,  or  any  other  place  maintained  for 
cold  storage  purposes,  brand,  stamp  or  mark  on  the  shell 
of  each  such  egg,  the  words  “cold  storage"  or  their 
equivalent,  in  plain  letters  at  least  one-eighth  inch  high  ; 
provided  such  eggs  do  not  already  bear  Rucb  brand, 
Stamp  or  mark  ;  <uul  provided  further  that  eyt/s  mail  be 
sold  in  the  original  unbroken  packages  in  which  they 
hare  been  received  from  such  cold  storage  without  being 
so  branded ,  stamped  or  marked .” 
The  trade  papers  and  the  egg  speculators  quite  gen¬ 
erally  have  taken  their  usual  course  in  opposition  to 
this  rule  as  they  usually  do  in  regard  to  any  reform 
in  the  distribution  of  food  products.  They  admit  that 
storage  eggs  are  continuously  sold  in  their  season  as 
strictly  fresh  eggs,  and  of  course  this  practice  reduces 
the  price  of  fresh  eggs.  The  trade  papers  say  the  deal¬ 
ers  would  welcome  any  order  that  would  compel  retail¬ 
ers  to  sell  storage  eggs  as  such;  and  they  admit  all 
efforts  thus  far  have  failed  ;  but  they  oppose  the  one 
order  that  will  put  a  stop  to  the  practice.  They  even 
say  that  the  order  cannot  be  enforced.  That  is  equiva¬ 
lent  to  saying  that  the  dealers  will  try  to  evade  the  reg¬ 
ulation  because  all  storage  eggs  are  candled  one  by  one 
by  the  jobbers  before  they  go  to  the  retailers;  and  if 
each  egg  is  marked  "cold  storage”  no  retailer  can  sell  it 
for  anything  else.  The  truth  is  that  dealers  select  the 
best  grade  of  storage  eggs,  and  sell  them  at  an  ad¬ 
vanced  price  to  the  retailer,  with  the  understanding  that 
they  are  good  enough  to  sell  as  fresh  eggs.  Both  the 
dealer  and  the  retailer  profit  by  the  deception.  This 
practice  is  admitted  in  the  trade;  and  those  who  profit 
by  it  oppose  a  regulation  that  will  surely  make  the  de¬ 
ception  impossible. 
.  One  of  the  arguments  advanced  by  the  trade  papers 
is  that  sensational  papers  have  prejudiced  the  public 
against  cold  storage  eggs.  It  is  asserted  that  the  new 
order  would  he  a  detriment  to  the  trade  nut  because  of 
the  quality  of  the  eggs  hut  hecause  of  this  prejudice 
against  them,  and  they  suggest  that,  the  Department 
should  remove  this  prejudice  by  educating  the  public  as 
to  the  quality  of  cold  storage  eggs.  The  only  inference 
is  that  the  trade  wants  the  privilege  of  fooling  the  con¬ 
sumer  for  his  goods;  that  the  consumer  will  not  use 
cold  storage  eggs  if  lie  knows  they  are  not  fresh  Of 
course  the  consumer  would  not  pay  fresh  egg  prices  for 
cold  storage  eggs;  but  cold  storage  eggs  can  be  retailed 
at  a  handsome  protit  at  from  30c.  to  35c.  a  dozen  any 
year,  and  during  their  season  fresh  eggs  sell  as  high  as 
<><)c.  to  i-»c.  a  dozen.  Many  families  are  not  able  to  buy 
eggs  at  these  prices.  They  would  gladly  use  cold  storage 
eggs  at  .,<>o.  to  Hoc.,  and  the  consumption  of  -horn 
would  be  very  much  increased.  We  believe  the  profits 
to  dealers  and  retailers  would  he  surer  aud  ultimatelv 
better  if  the  eggs  were  honestly  sold  for  what  they 
are;  but  t  u-  trade  has  practiced  the  deception  so  long 
it  is  blind  ■  — 
producers  will 
eggs  for  a  fair  price  and  fresh 
more  money  for  their  eggs. 
EGGS;  This  week  n  larger  portion  of  the  receipts 
arrived  in  merchantable  condition  although  some  in 
transit  during  the  hot  weather  last  week  arrived  here 
in  wretched  condition.  Farmers  should  keep  their  e«-«-s 
lu  a  cool  cellar  until  they  have  a  sufficient  quantity 
to  send  to  market  Many  eggs  have  been  washed  with 
preparations  which  injure  the  sale,  „s  only  a  damp 
\'}ff  With  sapolio  should  he  used  to  clean  dirty  eggs. 
J  nncy,  full,  new  laid  white  hennery  eggs  brought  .'19c 
to  40c,  hut  buyers  wore  very  particular  as  to  quality 
when  paying  that  price,  not  only  demanding  freshness 
ami  fullness,  but  eggs  above  the  normal  size.  Mixed 
white  eggs  come  in  competition  with  .lU(| 
generally 
uew  laid 
heated 
l.T  T1  LK  — Arrivals  from  State  sections  are  light, 
with  finest  dairy  in  uniform  packages  bringing  29c  to 
.50c  while  miscellaneous  packages  sold  at  from  24c  to 
CHEESE.— The  market  on  finest  white  and  colored, 
both  ffirge  and  small  sizes,  is  firm  at  17%c  with  most 
of  the  small  jobbing  lots  up  to  17%e  while  ordin¬ 
ary  makes  are  selling  at  from  1614c*  to  17c. 
POULTRY. — The  market  is  weak 
I  -ciaiu.-iDf  marKet  is  weak  on  fowls,  owii 
to  the  large  supply  of  western  stock.  White  Leghor 
tolTUiC  with  an  occasional  lot  reach!] 
owing 
rus 
iSc,  while  the  heavy  colored  breeds  brought  from  18c  to 
,  PPriKfiind’  some  small  Leghorn  fowls  sold  at  16c 
aud  l(,%c, 
CALVES. — The  market  advanced  to  $13.50  per  cwt 
<»»  live  veal  calves  while  butter  milkers  sold  at  from 
•to  to  $1.50  per  cwt.  Country  dressed  veals  from  75 
to  90  pounds,  when  choice,  brought.  1914  to  20c  but 
coarse,  heavy  calves  weighing  over  100  Tbs.  were  not 
salable  over  18c  to  19c  and  some  lower. 
POTATOES. — With  the  exception  of  Rome  fair- 
sized  lots  going  to  Texas  and  shipments  to  the  West 
Indies,  the  demand  is  entirely  local,  with  onlv  the  fin¬ 
est  Jersey  Cobblers  reaching  $3  per  105-lb.  bag,  while 
Jersey  Giants  sold  at  from  $2.60  to  $2.80.  Potatoes 
from  the  South  are  rarely  attractive  enough  to  exceed 
$2.75  on  Eastern  Shore  and  $2.25  to  $2.50  on  the  best 
Virginia.  Long  Island  potatoes  are  showing  well  in 
size,  but  mostly  too  green  to  exceed  $3  per  barrel  with 
ungraded  lots  going  at  $2.75  to  $2.85. 
TOMATOES. — The  heat  and  rains  caused  many  to¬ 
matoes  to  split  on  the  vines  aud  become  soft.  Com¬ 
mon  Jersey  Grants  sell  at  30c  to  75c;  Stone  brings 
90c  to  $1  on  the  Cumberland  County,  and  Monmouth 
County  Stone  $1  to  $1.25.  Prime  Acme  bring  from 
$1  to  $1.50  per  crate.  Delaware  Tomatoes  are  poor 
few  exceeding  $1  per  3-basket  carrier. 
CELERY. — Most  receipts  arc  small,  green  and  hol¬ 
low,  going  to  cheap  trade  at  from  15c  to  25c  per  doz¬ 
en  roots.  Choice  well  bleached  stock  sells  at  from  50c 
to  75c  per  dozen  roots. 
ONIONS. — Arrivals  from  California  and  Washing¬ 
ton  were  not  so  heavy  this  week  but  several  cars  were 
carried  over  on  the  dock  from  last.  week.  Trade  was 
dull  at  the  opening  but  market  gained  strength  and 
advanced  from  10c  to  25c  per  hundred  pounds  on  all 
grades,  cleaning  up  closely.  Orange  County  reds  ami 
yellows  sold  at  from  75c  to  $1  per  basket  while  white 
brought  $1  to  $1.50. 
PEAS.-  State  peas  strong  at  $2.50  to  $3  per 
bushel  basket.  String  beans  $1  to  $1.50  per  bushel  bag. 
PEACHES.- -Market  strong  on  fancy  table  grades, 
with  sales  up  to  $3.25  and  $3.50  on  Jersey,  and  from 
$2.50  to  $3  per  carrier  on  Maryland,  Delawares,  while 
some  very  fancy  West  Virginia  fruit  brought  $3.50  per 
6-basket  carrier.  Not  enough  State  peaches  coming  as 
yet  to  establish  prices. 
APPLES. — Market  active  with  fancy  Duchess  sold  at 
$2.50  to  $3.50;  Sour  Bough  and  Sweet  Bough  $2.50  to 
$3  per  barrel.  Red  Astrachan  rarely  good  enough  to 
bring  $3.  most  sales  at  $2.50  to  $2.75,  Up-river  Pip¬ 
pin,  when  large,  brought  $3  to  $3.25,  small  at  $2.50. 
Sample  shipments  of  Northwestern  Greening  from  Vir¬ 
ginia  brought  $4.50  to  $5  per  barrel ;  the  fruit  was  ex¬ 
ceptionally  clean.  Rut  if  a  normal  quantity  were  hero, 
we  doubt  whether  it  would  be  possible  to  exceed  $4  per 
barrel. 
PEARS. — Clapp’s  Favorite  and  when  fancy  bring 
$5.50  to  $6  per  standard  barrel.  Most  of  the  Clapp’s 
however  are  small  and  lack  color,  not  exceeding  $4.50 
to  $5  per  barrel.  Rest  Bell  pears  $3.  many  going  at 
from  $2.25  to  $2.50  per  barrel.  Southern  Kieffers  $3 
per  barrel  down.  Small  lots  of  Clairgeau  and  Anjou 
sell  at  $4  to  $5  per  barrel.  Fancy  Clairgeau  would 
bring  more. 
CHERRIES. — A  few  sour  cherries  from  Western 
New  York  sold  at  15c  to  ISc  per  quart  on  fancy;  soft 
and  overripe  lots  Sc  to  10c,  while  many  shipped  here 
out  of  cold  Storage  were  poor  and  sold  at  5c  to  8c  per 
quart. 
CANTALOUPES. — Jersey.  Fordliook,  sold  at  from 
$1  to  $1.25.  some  at  70c  to  75c  per  bushel  crate.  Mary¬ 
land  and  Delaware  sold  from  50c  to  $2,  standard  crate. 
A  few-  cars  of  overripe  California  cantaloupes  were 
taken  by  the  “wagon  boys"  at  from  10c  to  40c  per 
crate. 
Summary  of  sales  of  miscellaneous  farm  products 
during  the  week  ending  August  17th,  1916: 
fwfl/i  PflSPK 
$0  40 
10  cases  . 
. . ! . .  :.39 
17 V>  cases  . 
. 38 
6  cases  . 
. 37 
1  case  . 
. 661/a 
34  cases  . 
. 36 
13  cases  . 
. 35 
2  cases  . 
. 34 
6  cases  . 
.331/4 
4  cases  . 
. 33 
18  cases  . 
. 32 
2  cases  . 
. 611/a 
4  eases  . 
31 
9i/>  cases  . 
. 30 
oq 
2  cases  . 
. 28 
1  case  . 
. 271/2 
1  case  . 
. 27 
1  case  . 
26 
1V»  case  . 
. 25 
i/>  case  . 
. 24  % 
1  case  . 
. 24 
1  case  . 
oo 
1/4  case  duck  eggs  . 
. 30 
202  cases. 
BUTTER.  . 
120  lbs . $0.26 
278  lbs . 25 
308  lbs, 
DRESSED  MEATS. 
1  calf.  118  lbs . $0.19 
1  calf,  129  lbs .  18 
1  calf,  114  lbs . 19 
1  calf,  98  lbs . 10 
45  lbs.  veal  . 12 
45  lhs.  veal  . 11 
1  skin,  9  lbs . 40 
34  lbs.  veal  . 12 
1  skin,  S  lbs . 40 
POULTRY. 
43  lbs.  old  cocks  . $0.14 
27  lbs.  ducks  . 16 
53  lbs,  broilers  . 25 
130  lbs.  broilers  . 24 
SOI  lbs.  broilers  . . 23 
1243  lbs.  •  broilers  . 22 
277  lbs.  broilers  . 21 
2504  lbs. 
368  lbs.  fowl  . 20 
888  lbs.  fowl  .  19 
1103  lbs.  fowl  . 18 
978  lbs.  fowl  . . . 1714 
1020  lbs.  fowl  . 17 
4303  lbs. 
12  baskets  apples 
5  baskets  apples 
7  baskets  apples 
1  basket  apples 
58  baskets  apples 
TO  baskets  apples 
15  baskets  apples 
1  basket  apples 
2  baskets  apples 
3  baskets  apples 
10  baskets  apples 
58  baskets  apples 
1  basket  apples 
3  baskets  apples 
33  baskets  apples 
2  baskets  apples 
13  baskets  apples 
1  basket  apples 
FRUIT. 
$1.50 
1.33 
1.25 
1.15 
1.10 
1.00 
.90 
1.40 
.87  % 
.85 
.80 
.75 
.70 
.66  2-3 
.65 
.62i/2 
.60 
299  baskets. 
(Continued  on  page  1147.) 
