1341 
Inside  History  of  the  Milk  Battle 
A  True  Statement  of  Conditions 
A  STRIKING  INCIDENT. — At  the  official  meeting 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Dairymen's  League 
called  by  the  vice-president,  and  held  in  the  city  of  New 
York  on  October  12,  the  following  preamble  and  re¬ 
solutions  were  unanimously  adopted  : 
WHEREAS,  The  Board  of  Directors  has  heretofore 
authorized,  empowered  and  directed  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  to  undertake  the  adjustment  of  any  and  all  dif¬ 
ferences  between  the  producers  and  the  distributors  of 
milk  and  to  Conduct  exclusively  all  negotiations  relat¬ 
ing  thereto;  and 
WHEREAS.  Jacob  S.  Brill,  the  president  of  the 
T  cague,  has  interfered  with  the  actions  of  said  commit¬ 
tee  and  placed  obstacles  in  its  way;  openly  opposing 
it  in  its  negotiations  with  said  distributors;  conducting 
negotiations  himself  in  secret  with  said  distributors, 
without  the  knowledge  or  consent  of  said  executive  com¬ 
mittee;  and  attempting  to  make  with  said  distributors 
terms  and  agreements  against  the  best  interest  of  the 
League  and  in  violation  of  its  instructions;  and 
WHEREAS,  said  Jacob  S.  Brill  by  thus  arrogating 
to  himself  the  powers  of  said  executive  committee  has 
defeated  in  whole  or  in  part  the  objects  of  the  League; 
now  therefore  be  it. 
RESOLVED,  That  said  Jacob  S.  Brill  be  and  he 
hereby  is  requested  l«>  resign  forthwith  from  the  pres¬ 
idency  and  directorship  of  this  League,  and  be  it 
further 
RESOLVED,  That  until  the  next  meeting  of  this 
Board  of  Directors  all  of  the*  powers  and  duties  of  the 
president  of  the  League  shall  be  exercised  and  per¬ 
formed  by  Mr.  R.  I).  Cooper,  a  director  of  the  League, 
instead  of  by  said  Brill;  and  be  it  further 
RESOLVED,  That  until  further  action  of  this  board 
said  Brill  is  prohibited  from  exercising  any  of  the 
powers  of  president  or  director  of  this  League,  from  rep¬ 
resenting  said  League  in  any  capacity  whatsoever,  from 
conducting  negotiations  of  any  kind  or  character  and 
from  incurring  any  expense  or  entering  into  any  ob¬ 
ligations  in  bebalf  of  this  League  fund  be  it  further 
RESOLVED,  That  until  said  next  meeting  of  this 
board  said  executive  committee  shall  have  all  of  the 
powers  and  duties  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 
DIFFERENCES  INVOLVED— Mr.  Brill’s  activity 
in  the  League  began  during  the.  last  Summer  locally  in 
Dutchess  County.  lie  attended  the  Middletown  meet¬ 
ing  in  August  and  was  quite  active  in  opposition  to 
John  Y.  GerOW,  who  had  been  president  of  the  organi¬ 
zation  up  to  the  time  he  resigned.  At  that  meeting 
Mr.  A.  A.  Hartshorn  was  elected  president,  but  de¬ 
clined,  and  Mr.  Brill  became  a  candidate  for  the  place 
at  the  Albany  meeting.  No  one  else  was  seeking  the 
place  and  probably  85%  of  the  directors  were  unac¬ 
quainted  with  Mr.  Brill,  and  as  no  candidate  opposed 
him  he  was  elected.  Mr.  Brill's  first  announcement 
was  that  he  would  demand  a  salary  and  placed  the 
value  of  his  sen  ices  at  $100  a  month  and  expenses  for 
three  months,  his  term  expiring  in  that  time.  At  the 
next  meeting  he  made  a  claim  that  the  arrangement 
was  to  pay  him  $3(Hl  a  month,  but  this  was  not  al¬ 
lowed  by  the  executive  committee. 
CONFLICTING  INTERESTS. — Mr.  Brill  seemed 
to  have  differences  with  the  executive  committee  from 
the  start.  At  the  iirst  meeting  in  Poughkeepsie  the 
resignation  of  the  executive  committee  was  tendered 
him  but  the  differences  were  patched  up.  He  opened 
an  office  in  Poughkeepsie  and  another  in  the  Manhat¬ 
tan  Hotel  in  New  York  City,  and  the  committee  felt 
that  his  expenses  were  altogether  too  high  for  the  ser¬ 
vice  being  rendered.  These  differences;  however,  were 
trifling.  The  real  trouble  came  from  the  position  taken 
by  Mr.  Brill  in  reference  to  the  negotiations  for  the 
sale  of  milk  with  the  city  distributors.  From  the  first 
he  took  the  side  of  the  dealers  rather  than  that  of  Air. 
Dillon  and  the  executive  committee.  When  the  sale  of 
Ihe  milk  to  12  independent  dealers  was  negotiated  on 
October  8,  Air.  Brill  became  the  open  advocate  of  the 
dealers.  He  wanted  to  bind  the  farmers  to  take  care 
of  the  surplus,  and  besides,  to  submit  the  question  of 
price  for  January,  February  and  March  to  an  arbitra¬ 
tion  committee  composed  of  11  members.  Without.  Con¬ 
sulting  anyone  else,  he  fixed  up  the  appointment  of 
that  committee  with  the  dealers,  and  only  three  of  the 
11  members  could  he  safely  counted  on  to  represent  the 
milk  producers,  and  he  held  out  for .  these  provisions 
after  the  dealers  themselves  hud  expressed  themselves 
as  satisfied  with  the  fairness  of  the  terms  proposed  by 
Commissioner  Dillon  on  behalf  of  the  League.  When 
the  verbal  agreement  Was  finally  made  Air.  Brill  pro¬ 
posed  that  be  would  send  out  telegrams  at  once  for  the 
shipment  of  the  milk.  Air.  Dillon  and  the  executive 
committee  insisted  that  no  milk  be  released  until  a 
written  contract  was  signed  by  the  dealers.  When  the 
papers  were  being  prepared  difficulties  arose,  and  if  the 
milk  had  been  shipped  it  is  doubtful  if  the  contract 
would  then  have  been  closed. 
INCREASING  FRICTION.— Air.  Brill  did  not  con¬ 
sult  with  the  executive  committee  or  Commissioner 
Dillon  to  any  extent  at  any  time,  and  not  at  all  on 
the  agreement  that  he  alleges  to  have  made  with  the 
“Big  Four”  distributors  on  October  11.  The  details 
ot  that  negotiation  are  involved  in  mystery.  It  is  only 
known  that  Air.  Brill  had  associated  with  a  Air.  Jen¬ 
nings,  who  was  formerly  in  the  milk  business,  and  al¬ 
ways  appeared  for  the  milk  combination  at  the  public 
hearings;  also  with  a  Air.  Warren  Smith,  associated 
with  the  Milk  Reporter,  who  lias  always  opposed  the 
interests  of  the  producers  and  supported  the  dealers. 
He  was  also  in  consultation  with  Mr.  Paul  Brady  of 
the  big  Westinghou.se  Corporation,  who  owns  a  farm  in 
Dutchess  County,  and  with  Mark  E.  Dubois  of  the 
Poughkeepsie  Courier,  who  appeared  as  lrs  spokesman. 
MR.  BRILL’S  ACTIVITIES.— On  Wednesday  even¬ 
ing  Air.  Brill  gave  out  a  statement  that  Borden,  Shef¬ 
■UhC-  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
field  Farms,  AIcDermott.  Stevens  and  other  dealers  had 
signed  up  to  pay  the  League  prices.  Newspaper  re¬ 
porters  inquired  of  these  firms,  and  were  told  that  some 
of  them  had  agreed  on  terms  with  Air.  Brill  but  had 
signed  nothing.  ATr.  Brill  in  the  meantime  went  as  he 
expressed  in  newspaper  interviews,  “over  the  heads  of 
Commissioner  Dillon  and  the  executive  committee  in 
making  an  agreement  with  the  dealers,”  and  sent  tele¬ 
grams  to  the  country  directing  that  all  milk  should  be 
delivered  to  dealers  and  alleging  that  he  had  contracted 
for  the  milk  on  satisfactory  terms.  This  act  inn  having 
Come  to  the  attention  of  the  committee,  telegrams  were 
sent  by  the  committee  directing  that  the  milk  ho  held 
until  advised  by  Chairman  Cooper.  These  conflicting 
telegrams,  of  course,  caused  confusion  but  the  prompt 
action  by  the  committee  probably  saved  the  League 
from  immediate  disaster. 
ARRA XGEAIENTS  PROPOSED.— On  the  follow¬ 
ing  morning  no  two  of  the  parties  to  the  alleged  agree¬ 
ment  seemed  to  agree  as  to  what  it  was.  The  Borden 
Company  announced  their  understanding  of  it:  in  the 
published  advertisements  in  the  city  papers.  There 
was  nothing  in  it,  however,  to  indicate  any  recognition 
of  the  League  or  of  Mr.  Brill,  and  in  tin*  afternoon  of 
the  day  previous  they  denied  having  made  any  such 
agreement.  If  this  announcement  did  contain  the  pro¬ 
visions  of  Air.  Krill’s  alleged  agreement,  it  would  cer¬ 
tainly  he  a  humiliation  to  the  members  of  the  League. 
It  proposed  to  pay  the  League  price  for  November  and 
December  only,  and  provided  that  the  price  for  Jan¬ 
uary,  February  and  March  should  he  fixed  by  a  com¬ 
mittee  of  nine,  only  two  of  which  would  represent  the 
producer,  and  it  further  provided  that  any  surplus 
of  milk  over  and  avove  the  sales  tit  families  in  New 
York,  should  bo  manufactured  into  butter  and  cheese, 
and  paid  for  at  butter  and  cheese  prices.  These  pro¬ 
visions  are  an  insult  to  the  intelligence  of  the  milk- 
producing  farmers  of  the  .State,  and  are  practically  the 
provisions  that  AD.  Brill  and  his  associates  demanded 
in  the  contract  with  the  small  dealers  the  week  be¬ 
fore.  Neither  of  them  was  included  in  the  contract  and 
never  could  be  by  any  efficient  agency  of  the  produc¬ 
ing  interests. 
THE  LEAGUE  CONTRACT.— The  League  contract 
with  more  than  130  dealers  is  for  six  months,  with 
the  proviso  that  if  an  impartial  committee,  represent¬ 
ing  both  sides,  should  find  that  the  League  prices  ex¬ 
ceeded  the  cost  of  production  with  a  reasonable  profit 
during  the  months  of  January,  February  and  March, 
the  League  would  revise  the  prices  for  these  months  to 
correspond  with  the  cost  of  production  and  a  reasonable 
profit.  This  leaves  a  straight  six  months’  contract 
with  a  possible  revision  of  three  mouths’  prices,  and  if 
the  committee  should  neglect  or  refuse  to  act  the  con¬ 
tract  would  be  binding.  In  the  Brill  proposal  the 
agreement  at  best  is  for  three  months  and  if  the  com¬ 
mittee  neglected  or  refused  to  act  the  producers  would 
be  at  the  merey  of  the  dealers  as  in  the  past.  But  the 
producers  were  to  have  no  voice  in  the  selection  of  the 
committee.  That  was  all  fixed  by  Air.  Brill  and  the 
dealers.  It  was  to  be  composed  as  follows: 
One  member  by  the  Governor. 
<  >m:  member  by  the  Mayor. 
One  member  by  the  Commissioner  of  Health. 
One  member  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Ro¬ 
chester. 
One  member  of  the  Merchants’  Association. 
Two  members  by  tin*  dealers. 
Two  members  by  the  Dairymen’s  League. 
CITY  INTERESTS  CONSIDERED.— Everyone  of 
these  with  the  exception  of  the  last  two  represents  city 
interests.  It  is  conceded  that  the  purpose  of  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  and  the  Mayor  would  be  to  appoint  strong  men 
for  the  committee,  but  they  are  both  city  men  and 
certainly  the  Alayor’s  interests  run  entirely  with  the 
city  situation,  and  even  with  the  best  Intentions  there 
would  be  a  strong  possibility  of  the  appointment  of 
men  with  city  interests,  so  that  the  producers  would 
bo  sure  of  only  two  of  the  nine.  In  the  League  contract 
a  committee  of  five  is  provided ;  two  selected  by  the 
farmers,  two  selected  by  the  dealers,  and  these  four  to 
select  a  fifth.  Aside  from  being  all  one-sided  the  pro¬ 
posed  Brill  committee  is  unwieldy  and  the  League  com¬ 
mittee  is  of  better  size.  When  Commissioner  Dillon 
proposed  on  behalf  of  the  executive  committee  this  form 
of  committee  the  dealers  admitted  its  fairness,  and  it 
was  only  Mr.  Brill  and  Mr.  Brady  who  opposed  it. 
THE  SURPLUS  PROPOSITION— In  the  whole 
history  of  the  milk  business  nothing  as  foreign  to  the 
producers’  interest  has  ever  been  proposed  as  the  Brill 
surplus  proposition.  In  it  the  farmer  is  Certainly 
doubly-crossed.  First  a  city  committee  is  to  set  the 
price  of  milk  for  the  farmer  on  what  it  chooses  to  call 
the  cost  of  production.  If  a  surplus  of  milk  is  made 
at  times  with  the  same  equipment,  of  course,  the  cost 
of  production  will  lie  lessened  and  the  price  will  be 
reduced.  The  dealer  may  .then  by  charging  the  high 
price  to  consumers  reduce  the  consumption,  making  an 
extra  profit  by  the  increase,  and  turn  the  surplus  over 
to  the  producer  to  he  manufactured  into  butter  and 
cheese,  and  the  farmer  must  accept  a  still  lower  price 
for  this  surplus  milk.  In  all  the  arrogant  practices 
of  the  “milk  exchange”  element  no  dealer  ever  had  the 
courage  or  the  impudence  to  make  such  a  proposition  as 
this.  That  it  should  be  proposed  and  insisted  upon  by 
the  president  of  the  Dairymen's  League  is  beyond  com¬ 
prehension.  Every  man  must  decide  for  himself  what 
the  motive  of  Air.  Brill  could  have  beeu  in  proposing 
such  an  agreement,  and  iu  rushing  past  the  authorized 
representative  of  the  producers  to  order  the  milk  de¬ 
livered  before  any  definite  agreement  was  signed  or 
even  mutually  understood.  That  it  is  in  the  interests 
ot  the  dealers  in  opposition  to  the  producer  no  man 
can  doubt.  All*.  Dillon  and  the  execut’ve  committee  are 
quoted  in  the  city  press  as  saying  that  there  is  not 
money  enough  in  Wall  Street  to  induce  them  to  sign 
such  a  contract  on  behalf  of  producers.  Whatever  may 
have  been  tie*  influences  behind  Air.  Brill.  Vice-Presi¬ 
dent  Thompson  acted  with  commendable  diligence  in 
calling  the  meeting,  and  the  unanimous  action  of  the 
board  testified  to  the  determination  of  milk-producing 
farmers  to  brook  no  trifling  with  their  interests  in  their 
milk  contest. 
Notes  from  Department  of  Foods  and 
Markets 
204  Franklin  St.,  New  York  City 
EGGS. — Nearby  eggs  in  light  supply,  best  white 
In  nuery  advanced  to  58c  on  Wednesday;  best  hennery 
brown  from  48c  to  5(>c;  mixed  brown  and  whites  45c 
to  50c.  Many  of  the  eggs  coining  are  held  too  long  in 
damn  cellars  and  are  musty  and  poor,  selling  from  31c 
to  37e. 
BUTTER. — Best  Western  creamery  35  %c,  which  is 
1’jC  lower  than  last  week.  Fancy  Eastern  dairy  in 
tubs  brought  32c  to  33c ;  mixed  packages  28c  to  31c. 
CHEESE. — -Market  advanced  to  21%e  on  finest 
Stab*  brands;  common  to  good,  10c  to  21c. 
DRESSED  POULTRY. — Western  dressed  poultry 
scarce,  owing  to  the  large  quantities  going  into  storage. 
Dressed  fowls  22c  to  23c;  roasting  chickens  24c  to  25c; 
frying  chickens  21c  to  23c;  milk  fed  lc  to  2c  per  pound 
higher.  Fresh  broiling  turkeys  selling  35c  to  40c  for 
plump  and  best:  old  turkeys  28e  to  30c  per  pound. 
Some  contracts  have  been  made  for  Thanksgiving  tur¬ 
keys  at  28c  to  30c  per  pound  in  carload  lots  on  Texas 
stock. 
LIVE  POULTRY. — Demand  good  for  heavy  West¬ 
ern  fowls  and  110  cars  offered  Monday  and  Tuesday 
were  taken  by  the  Hebrew  trade  for  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles  holiday.  Nearby  express  chickens  and 
fowls  in  liberal  supply  this  week  with  quality  gener¬ 
ally  light  and  prices  were  irregular.  Early  in  the  week 
Leghorn  fowls  sold  from  10c  to  21c;  later  10c  to  17c. 
LIVE  CALVES. — Prime  to  fancy  12%e  to  14c; 
common  to  good  0%c  to  I2%c;  buttermilk  6%t*  to  7c. 
DRESSED  CALVES. — In  liberal  supply  with  lim¬ 
ited  demand.  Fancy  calves  brought  20c;  common  to 
good  sold  from  lfie  to  ISe ;  market  on  all  grades  one- 
half  cent,  lower  than  last  week. 
APPLES. — In  liberal  supply  with  brisk  demand  for 
fancy  fruit.  The  market  is  overstocked  with  low  grades 
selling  from  $1.25  to  $2.50  per  barrel. 
Alexander  $2.50  to  $3;  Fall  Pippin  $2.~5  to  $3.75; 
Greening  $1.25  to  $3.50;  Gravenstein  $2.75  to  $3.75; 
Holland  Pippin  $2.50  to  $3.30;  King  $2  to  $3.50;  Ale- 
Intosh  $3  to  $5;  Twenty  Ounce  $2  to  $3;  Wolf  River 
$2.50  to  $3.50;  Southern  York  Imperial  $2  to  $2.75. 
PEACHES. — Jerseys  in  carriers  $2  to  $3:  baskets 
50e  to  $1  ;  Western  New  York  Elhertn  in  bn.  bkts. 
$l.t2i4  to  $1.75;  Western  New  York  Crawford  in  bu. 
bkts.  ,$1.50  to  $1.75. 
GRAPES. — Wine  stock  in  trays  3c  per  pound ;  Up- 
River  Champion  in  carriers  00c  to  75c;  Delaware  00c 
to  $1 ; Niagara  75c  to  $1;  Moore’s  Early  50c  to  70c; 
Champion  and  Niagara  from  Delaware  40c  to  75c  per 
crate. 
PEARS. — Tn  moderate  supply.  Cold  storage  Bart¬ 
lett  $5  to  $7;  TTp-ltiver  Bartlett  .$4  to  $6.50;  Anjou 
$2.50  to  $4;  B.  sc  $4.50  to  $5;  Clairgeuu  $3  to  $4: 
Seckol  $3.50  to  $5.50;  Clapp’s  Favorite  .$5  to  $0;  Jer¬ 
sey  Kieffer  $1.50  to  $3 ;  Up-River  Kieffer  $2  to  $2.50. 
POTATOES- — Moderate  supply  and  active  demand. 
Long  Island  80c  per  barrel  higher  than  last  week ; 
Long  Island  $4.25  to  $4.50  per  barrel :  Alaine  Cob¬ 
blers  in  165-lb,  bacs  $3.80  to  $3.00;  Alaine  Green 
Mountain  $3.80  to  $3.05;  Jersey  $3.25  to  $3.75. 
ONIONS. — Market  unchanged  with  liberal  receipts. 
Orange  County  reds  $1.50  to  $2.25  per  100-lb.  bag ; 
yellow  $2  to  $3:  Jersey  white  $1.25  to  $2  per  basket; 
yellow  $1.25  to  $1.50  per  basket. 
Summary  of  sales  of  miscellaneous  farm  products 
during  the  week  ending  October  11th,  1016: 
EGGS. 
32  cases  . 
5  cases  . 
7  cases  . 
0  cases  . 
13  cases  . 
5  cases  . 
17  cases  . 
2  cases  .  . 
14  cases  . . . 
2  cases  . 
13  cases  . 
4t4  cases  . 
2  cas-s  . 
12  cases  . 
3  canes  . 
14  cases  . 
26  cases  . 
014  cases  . 
H44  cases  . 
7  cases  . 
10  cases  . 
6  cases  . 
0  cases  . 
1  case  .. .. . 
014  cases  . 
5  cases  . 
3  cases  . 
7  dozen  . 
$0.58 
.57 
.56 
.55 
.54 
.53 
.52 
.51 
.50 
.40 
.48 
.47 
.46 
.45 
.44 
.43 
.42 
.41 
.40 
.38 
.37 
.36 
.35 
.34 
.33 
.32 
.31 
.25 
227  cases. 
125  lbs.  . 
53  lbs.  . 
63  lbs.  . 
47  lbs.  . 
BUTTEll. 
$0.33 
.32 
.31 
.30 
28.8  lbs. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
1  bag  chestnuts,  25  lbs . 
1  bag  chestnuts,  72  lbs . 
1  box  honey  (broken)  24  lbs . 
1  coop  rabbits,  45  lbs . 
POULTRY. 
23  lbs.  obi  cocks  . 
14  lbs.  old  cocks  . 
85  lbs.  duck  . 
03  lbs.  duck  . 
1  guinea  hen  . . 
234  lbs,  broilers  . . 
180  lbs.  broilers . 
37  lbs.  broilers  . 
4407  lbs.  broilers . 
083  lbs.  broilers  . 
.  .  .$0.20 
.  .  .  .074.', 
.  .  .  .00 
.  . .  .18 
$0.14 
.13 
.18 
.16 
OS 
.21% 
.21 
.20 
5850  lbs. 
283  lbs.  fowl  . 
S"S  lbsw  fowl  . 
1620  lbs*  fowl  . 
345  lbs.  fowl  . 
33  lbs.  fowl  . 
(Continued  on  page  1350.1 
.21 
.20 
.10 
.18 
•17% 
