1331 
the  temperature  gets  above  freezing.  It  is  well  to 
remove  the  whole  contents  of  the  pit  when  it  is  once 
begun.  These  pits  will  make  good  emergency  stor¬ 
age  for  the  amount  that  cannot  be  stored  in  the 
regular  way,  so  I  think  it  Is  safe  to  say  that  outside 
of  the  places  where  potatoes  and  apples  are  raised 
in  such  large  quantities  that  separate  storage  is  es¬ 
sential,  the  best  available  means  for  storage  is  the 
house  cellar,  and  the  pit  for  the  surplus. 
Maine.  k.  walker  mo  keen. 
Governor  Whitman  and  the  Foods  and 
Markets  Department 
He  Believes  in  Enlarged  Powers 
HE  State  of  New  York  spends  annually  two  and 
one-half  million  dollars  for  the  advancement  of 
agriculture,  that  food  may  he  abundantly  produced 
and  supplied  to  the  consumers  at  reasonable  prices. 
That  is  the  justification  for  State  aid  to  agricul¬ 
ture.  The  State  succeeded  in  its  efforts  to  increase 
crops,  to  grow  diversified  products,  to  improve 
transportation  and  lessen  its  cost  through  good 
roads,  and  there  it  stopped  until  the  Department  of 
Foods  and  Markets  was  established  with  the  ob¬ 
ject,  as  defined  in  the  law.  ot'  bringing  the  producer 
and  consumer  iu  closer  relations,  in  encouraging  co¬ 
operation  between  producers,  consumers  and  distrib¬ 
utors,  and  thus  making  the  abundance  of  the  har- 
S he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
To  advise  and  assist  in  the  location  and  estab¬ 
lishment  of  local  markets,  wherever  necessary. 
These  markets  to  be  opera  ted  by  a  cooperative  com¬ 
pany. 
To  make  rules  and  regulations  for  the  grading, 
packing,  handling,  storage  and  sale  of  food  stuffs 
not  contrary  to  law. 
The  Commissioner  is  also  authorized  to  create 
auction  markets  and  to  license  auctioneers  to  carry 
on  sales  within  these  markets.  As  is  proper,  the 
commissions  of  the  auctioneers  are  to  be  paid  by 
the  sellers  and  not  by  the  State,  so  that  the  Spite 
does  not  compete  with  private  enterprises;  it  being 
assumed  that  the  commissions  paid  to  the  auc¬ 
tioneers  are  fair  and  at  the  prevailing  rates. 
By  reason  of  the  proper  exercise  of  the  powers  of 
the  Department,  i  am  confident  that  the  farmer  will 
be  benefited ;  the  distributor  will  be  benefited  and 
the  consumer  will  receive  the  product  at  a  lower 
cost  by  reason  of  the  closer  relation  between  the 
j iredueer  and  the  distributor. 
When  I  came  into  oflice,  the  Department  was  in 
an  experimental  stage.  I  believe  in  its  purpose  as 
defined  by  law,  and  I  prevented  its  annexation  to 
another  department.  I  also  exerted  some  influence 
upon  the  Legislature  to  increase  the  appropriation 
fur  the  Department,  securing  65  per  cent,  more 
money  than  was  given  the  previous  year.  Thus  it 
is  evident  that  I  have  and  will  support  the  De- 
reach  boarding-house  No.  1.  Wha  n>urst>  should  th** 
telephone  company  pursue?  M.  C. 
ERE  is  a  case  where  no  signature  is  given  and 
no  State  mentioned,  so  that  we  are  unable  to 
answer  fully.  We  give  the  following  notes  on  tho 
general  question  of  telephone  rights.  Why  do  peo¬ 
ple  refuse  to  back  up  their  questions  with  name  or 
address? 
We  are  not  told  whether  this  highway  is  a  public 
or  private  highway.  If  it  is  a  private  road  leading 
across  No.  2’s  land  and  to  No.  l’s  house  only,  then 
No.  1  has  the  right  of  passage  for  himself  and  his 
necessities  on  the  road,  and  should  petition  the 
proper  court,  depending  on  tho  State  In  which  he 
lives,  for  the  permission  to  exercise  his  rights  on 
this  road  which  exists  only  for  his  use,  proving  to 
the  court  that  a  telephone  service  is,  a  necessity  to 
him  in  the  conduct  of  his  business,  and  that  he  is 
seriously  damaged  by  being  deprived  of  it 
If  the  highway  is  a  public  i*oad  and  kept  and 
maintained  by  the  town,  proprietor  of  house  No. 
1  should  get  a  petition  signed  by  the  majority,  of 
the  householders  along  the  road,  asking  for  the  per¬ 
mission  of  the  town  officers  to  erect  and  maintain 
a  line  of  telephone  poles  and  wires  along  and  upon 
the  highway.  They  will  probably  be  able  and  will¬ 
ing  to  grant  It.  If  the  highway  is  a  road  main¬ 
tained  by  the  State  the  matter  can  be  handled  in 
much  the  same  way  by  a  petition  to  the  proper  State 
« ’oDyri'bl  t.y  VV,  W:mi  Smith 
Milk  Dealers  and  Dairymen’s  Representatives  Who  Finally  Agreed  on  League  Prices.  Fig.  544 
Mulh,  of  the  New  York  Dniry  Produce  Co.;  Charles  Ncitlner.  of  the  Empire  State  Dairy  C.o.j  Jacob  S.  Brill,  President  of  the  Dairymen’s  League;  F.  H.  Thompson,  vice 
...v  John  J.  Dillon,  State  Commissioner  of  Foods  and  Markets  and  agent  of  the  Dairymen’s  League;  R.  D.  Cooper,  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Dairymen’! 
ie  Albert  Manning,  secretary  and  also  member  of  tho  Executive  Committee  of  the  Dairymen’s  League:  C.  Oher,  of  the  National  Dairy  Co. 
,  reading  from  left  to  right:  William  J  Clair  of  the  National  Daby  Produce  Co.;  Mr.  Huak  of  the  Ullman  &  Huak  Dairy  Co.:  Charles 
t  C  Rider  Co.;  William  Burgess  of  the  Standard  Dairy  Co.;  L.  ZiUon  of  the  Znlon  Brothers  Dairy  Co.;  Mr.  Ullman  ol  the  Ullman  &  f 
Seated,  reading  from  left  to  right;  A.  F. 
president  of  the  Dairymen’s  League 
Leagu 
Back  row 
James 
Von  Holf  of  the  Central  Dairy  Co.;  George  W.  Rider  of  the 
Huak  Dairy  Co.,  and  S.  Zillon  of  the  Zillon  Brothers  Dairy  Co. 
tests  of  advantage  to  the  consumer  in  the  price  oC 
i'ood. 
When  it  is  considered  that  10  per  cent,  of  the 
city  wage-earner’s  income  is  paid  for  food,  it  goes 
without  saying  that  every  effort  should  be  made  to 
reduce  the  cost  of  transportation  and  distribution. 
The  ideal  situation  would  be  to  have  a  reasonable 
profit  to  the  farmer;  a  reasonable  profit  to  the  dis¬ 
tributor  and  a  reasonable  priee  to  the  consumer,  it 
is  the  function  of  the  Department  of  Foods  and  Mar¬ 
kets,  as  nearly  as  possible,  to  bring  about  this  re¬ 
sult.  In  order  to  accomplish  its  purpose,  the  law 
requires  of  the  Commissioner  the  following  duties 
and  permits  no  other  activities: 
To  investigate  the  cost  of  food  production  and 
marketing  in  all  its  phases. 
To  aid  and  assist  in  the  organization  of  coopera¬ 
tive  societies  among  producers  and  consumers  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  more  direct  business  rela¬ 
tions  between  them. 
To  promote  and  conserve  the  interests  of  the  pro¬ 
ducers  and  to  reduce  the  cost  of  living  to  con¬ 
part  merit  of  Foods  and  Markets  in  the  exercise  of 
its  proper  functions. 
I  believe  that  legislation  should  be  adopted  look¬ 
ing  to  the  establishment  of  market  departments  in 
the  cities  of  the  State,  as,  of  course,  the  vast  ma¬ 
jority  of  the  consumers  live  in  the  cities,  and  that 
departments  sn  established  should  cooperate  with 
the  State  Department  in  t  tie  effort  to  carry  out 
the  purposes  of  the  law  establishing  the  State  De¬ 
partment  of  Foods  and  Markets. 
An  investigation  is  now  being  carried  on  under 
the  direction  of  the  Attorney-General  of  tho  State,  as 
well  as  by  the  Wicks  Committee,  and  I  confidently 
expect  that  the  results  of  their  investigation  will 
aid  in  drafting  proper  legislation  during  the  com¬ 
ing  session  of  the  Legislature.  charles  s.  whitman. 
Governor  of  New  York. 
How  to  Obtain  a  Telephone 
The  proprietor  of  a  boarding-house,  No.  1.  on  the 
rocky  shores  of  a  certain  lake  wants  a  telephone.  Tin- 
proprietor  of  a  boarding  house,  No.  2,  nu  the  shores  of 
the  same  lake,  through  whose  land  the  highway  runs, 
refuses  to  let  the  telephone  company  run  a  line  to 
authorities.  Many  States  have  commissioners  with 
power  to  act  on  such  matters,  named  variously  as 
the  Public  Service  Commission,  Public  LTtilities  Com¬ 
mission,  etc.,  and  the  matter  can  be  taken  up  direct¬ 
ly  with  them.  They  will  notify  the  town  officers 
and  set  a  date  on  which  they  will  have  a  hearing, 
and  all  interested  parties  should  be  present  and 
be  heard  and  if  owner  No.  t  has  succeeded  in  getting 
the  signatures  of  a  majority  of  the  residents  along 
the  road  the  commission  will  probably  grant  the  pe¬ 
tition  and  issue  ail  order  if  they  have  that  power. 
Lacking  a  commission  take  the  matter  up  with 
the  Slate  Superintendent  of  Highways.  The  laws 
vary  in  different  States  regarding  the  rights  of  tele¬ 
phone  companies  to  the  use  of  the  roads,  and  the 
telephone  companies  are  perfectly  familiar  and  ex¬ 
pert  in  the  Interpretation  of  their  rights,  so  that  we 
may  reasonably  assume  that  in  this  case  it  is  a 
farmers’  exchange  to  which  house  No.  1  desires  a 
connection.  This  will  not  affect  the  decision  of  tin* 
authorities  if  public  necessity  can  be  proved  by 
the  number  of  signatures  to  the  petition. 
sumers. 
w.  o.  c. 
