Tie RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
561 
The New York Milk Situation 
The one certain thin" about the milk situation is 
that it has not. according to ail reports, affected the 
city supplv. All the dealers report they are getting 
all the milk they need and that they could get more 
if needed. This simply indicates the full supply at 
this time. It is said in the trade that outside milk 
has been offered for some time, and is available if 
needed. As the season advances the supply will 
naturally decrease, but this cannot be expected for 
two or three months yet. In any event, the regular 
territory is capable of producing all the milk needed, 
and an increase of the supply from outside sources 
would serve no good purpose for anyone. 
The independent dealers are not dividing the milk 
into classes. They are inlying, as far as we can 
learn, on a flat basis of $1.75 per 100 lbs. for 3 per 
cent milk in the 200-mile zone, with the usual dif¬ 
ferentials for fat and freight and Grade A milk. 
At the city League office the situation is reported as 
entirely satisfactory. Dairymen who signed tin* pool 
contract hut arc situated where it is not convenient 
to ship have been advised to ship cream to the asso¬ 
ciation plants, to be paid for on the basis of 3 lbs. 
fat for every 100 lbs. of 3 per cent milk. The small 
volume of cream received indicates that the greater 
part of the milk is being handled in the regular 
way. Tn the meantime the number of signers is 
reported as coming at the rate of about 400 a day,, 
and the total is now estimated to b<* about 70.000. 
The management expect a marked increase in the 
number of checks to go to poolers next month. Out 
of 13G dealers, including some cheese patrons, they 
report 05 having agreed to the April terms. 
Reports from the country indicate that in some 
neighborhoods producers of one side or the other 
are driving some distance to deliver at stations will¬ 
ing to accept it. In a few cases they report caring 
for the milk at home. 
A situation of the kind is likely to develop dis¬ 
putes. but we feel sure this will be only temporary. 
It is natural that differences should arise among 
eighty or ninety thousand men, but we have faith 
in the good sense and good judgment of dairymen 
as a class, and as the excitement over this dispute 
subsides we expect to see them adjust their differ¬ 
ences and all work together as a unit for the good 
of each and the welfare of this great dairy industry. 
The Hudson Tunnel and its Possibilities 
The other day a contract was signed calling for 
nearly $20,000,000 to be spent in digging a tunnel 
under the Hudson River. One entrance will be on 
Manhattan Island, the other in Jersey City. There 
will be double tracks each way for passenger ami 
freight service, permitting 40,000 vehicles to pass in 
one day. It will be one of the great engineering 
feats in the history of the world, and will have a 
profound influence upon a territory containing 
nearly 20,000,000 people. The work will not be ditli- 
cult as such things go. for the tunnel will he bored, 
for the most part, through a deposit of soft mud at 
the bottom of tlie river. 
There are farmers still hauling produce to New 
York whose grandfathers brought loads of farm 
stuff to the New Jersey side of the river and hauled 
their wagons upon rude ferryboats. Then they un¬ 
hitched their horses and put them on a crude horse¬ 
power which slowly turned the paddle wheels and 
pushed the boat across. When this tunnel is com¬ 
pleted the farmer will load liis truck on the farm 
and drive without change right into the city market. 
From a territory reaching out 150 miles to the north, 
Avest and south, swift trucks will run over our hard 
roads, carrying great loads of produce, which in for¬ 
mer years have come by railroad, with costly trans¬ 
fer in New Jersey. Without change or transfer 
these loads will run swiftly under the river into 
great terminal markets, where food will be sold 
direct to the people. 
And this new tunnel will do more than provide an 
opportunity to bring food and fuel into the city. It 
will give the swarming millions Avho are now 
crowded upon a narrow island at the mouth of the 
Hudson River an opportunity to breathe and lind 
homes. For with this new method of transportation 
great swarms of human beings, while retaining 
their work in the city, will spread out over Northern 
New Jersey and Southern New York, and find new 
homes among the hills. The present army of com¬ 
muters will be multiplied by live or 10. The housing 
problem in New York will be settled, and we shall 
have a uetw type of city man—one who knows more 
about the country, and who will grow to have a 
kindlier interest in the farmer. 
The daily papers have discussed the industrial and 
financial benefits to follow the completion of this 
tunnel. It seems to us that the social and political 
effects which are to result from it will be even 
greater. There is great national danger in the herd¬ 
ing of the jumbled-up mass of human beings now 
crowded at the Hudson’s mouth. We have started 
along the way which led to the downfall of the 
great cities of olden time. This tunnel will help t<> 
relieve the situation by bringing New York closer 
to the country, and scattering a large proportion of 
the city workers out among the hills. There Avill 
thus he created a better idea of- what country life 
means, and a more tolerant spirit toward country 
people and country habits. 
The Hudson River Fruit Exchange 
George Hildebrand is again back as manager of 
the Hudson River Fruit Exchange. He was the 
first manager of this exchange, and served it from 
1912 to 1014. Later he was general manager of the 
Martinsburg Fruit Exchange of Virginia. He also 
served as Deputy Commissioner of Foods and Mar¬ 
kets during 1017-18, and in other similar capacities 
since. Mr. Hildebrand is AA'ell equipped for develop¬ 
ing the work of the Hudson River Exchange. His 
experience since he left it. has been helpful. He is 
a worker, and be knows the business, lie has an 
association of 400 liigh-elass fruit growers in one of 
the most prosperous fruit sections of the country. 
We look for a big year for the Hudson River Fruit 
Exchange. 
Failure of a National Bank 
The Second National Bank* at Elkton, Md., is closed 
since January. At first it was said that it closed be¬ 
cause a run on it had developed through an unfounded 
rumor, and that it would shortly reopen. Now it has 
been taken in band by the National Banking Depart¬ 
ment for liquidation. 
I have some hard-earned money in the bank on 
deposit. The hank belonged to the Federal Reserve 
System, and 1 supposed every National bank was backed 
by the United States Government. That impression 
was given me at one of the political meetings held here. 
It is not a big bank, but it lias gathered up a lot o£ 
money from poor people around here, who worked bard 
to get it. They differed from the white collar and 
necktie gentlemen who got it arul now refuse to return 
it. Two receivers and numerous accountants have 
already been appointed and employed. Now. what T 
want to know is who pays all this expense? Does 
it come out of the depositors? The Government 
sends inspectors to look over the books. What 
is the good, if they do not prevent failures? They 
claim this failure was due to bad notes, but how about 
depreciated bonds on plants not worth one-half the face 
of the bonds? What I ohject to most is want of 
straight information. They give ns any old excuse, as 
if we were entirely void of intelligence, and refuse to 
give ns the real facts concerning an institution that 
holds our money. Why should we not know the whole 
truth? DEPOSITOR. 
Maryland. 
The Government guarantees the national currency 
issued by a National bank. It does noj guarantee 
depositors in case of failure, but when the bank is 
liquidated the depositors are paid first as far as the 
net assets go. The stockholders can get nothing 
until all the depositors are paid. 
The expense of the receiver comes out of the 
assets of the bank. If there Is not enough left to 
pay depositors in full, this expense comes out of 
them. If the depositors are finally paid in full, the 
expense would come out of the stockholders. 
The percentage of National bank failures is small, 
but occasionally we have failures that an efficient 
inspection should have prevented or minimized. 
Under certain conditions the directors of a bank 
become responsible for losses, and this fact accounts 
at times for (he unwillingness to give full informa¬ 
tion to depositors. Banking is a system, and the 
more experience one gets the more he realizes the 
helplessness of an individual in conflict with any 
big, well-organized system. 
Cheese Factory Notes 
Your milk dairymen will be interested in my report 
from the West Branch Cheese Factory as compared 
with their returns for liquid milk. This report covers 
time from January 8 to February 17. The report of 
plant is as follows: 
Milk received .30.490 lbs. 
Milk to* 1 lb. cheese. 9.96 lbs. 
Cheese sold . 3,001 lbs. 
1’rieo received.$ 20.5 
Total receipts. 633.42 
Expense. <82.65 
Net returns .$550.77 
This is $1.80 per 100 lbs. of milk. In addition to 
this price for the milk we are entitled to the whey, 
which is worth 17c per 100. Farmers are anxious to 
get their share of the whey. The value of it depends 
on what they get for calves, pigs and chickens. 
New York. eddy c. gilbert. 
Farm Tractors and Road License 
Will you tell me the exact status of a farmer who 
purchases a tractor (five-ton in weight, of the crawler 
type), and who owns several farms some distance apart, 
thereby making it necessary for him to use the road or 
highway in going from oue farm to another? The 
machine is used solely for agricultural purposes, and 
not for truckage or haulage. The question, which is 
worrying several such men in our community who are 
so fixed as above, seems rather pertinent at the present 
time, in view of the fact that New Jersey has adopted 
mounted police. 
If it is absolutely necessary to secure license, will 
you tell me the exact amount? Then, too, is the opera¬ 
tor compelled to be licensed? Understand, the machine 
is being used solely for farm work, having no lugs to 
tear up the road and does not engage in haulage. 
New Jersey. c. L. H. 
This problem is puzzling many farmers who find 
it necessary to drive the tractor along the public 
road. The New Jersey Commissioner of Motor 
Vehicles says: 
Under our law. there are two kinds of tractors— 
agricultural tractors, and tractors used for other than 
agricultural purposes. 
The fee for agricultural tractors is $3. For the other 
tractors the fee is charged according to the weight of 
the vehicle and the load combined. 
1 he machine that is used solely for farm work, hav¬ 
ing no lugs to tear up the road, and does not engage in 
haulage, should be registered as a farm tractor. The 
operator must have a regular driving license. 
There is some complaint about this from farmers 
who travel only a few rods along the highway. It 
does not seem reasonable to compel a farmer to take 
out a license when he merely drives from one field 
to another. 
New York State Notes 
The experience which the Western New York fruit 
growers have had for the past two years will be capital¬ 
ized when Nelson R. Beet, manager of the Western 
Now York Fruit Growers’ Co-operative Association, 
goes west to attend the meeting of 21 Avbieh the Ameri¬ 
can I arm Bureau Federation is calling in Chicago on 
April 24. The purpose of the meeting is ro adopt plans 
* 01 ‘ the better distribution of fruit and fruit products; 
Many New York State farmers are reporting that 
Hu bam clover is disappointing as a field crop. They be¬ 
lieve that biennial Sweet clover, plauted under the same 
conditions, yields as large or a larger total yield. In 
September, when the Hnham would be harvested, the 
grow th is tall, woody and nearly leafless. The biennial 
at the same season, from seed sown in the Spring, is 
fine, succulent and leafy. For a Fall pasturage the 
bifiimal type appears to be superior. For plowing un- 
<ier the difference would not be so great, provided a 
good growth of Hubam can be secured. 
The farmers who engaged in the co-operative market¬ 
ing proposition last year, relative to their potatoes and 
cabbage, are summing up some of the problems which 
they have confronted and what remedy can be applied 
to the mistakes they have made. The Empire State 
Potato Association, which was organized a year ago. 
has about 500 members, around 17 local organizations. 
Fp to and including March IS it bad shipped 342 cars 
of ^potatoes and cabbage, which are valued at over 
$175,000. One of the unusual things about this work is 
that # the shipments have gone into 10 States and 91 
different markets. The sales policy of this association 
has been to develop small town and city business instead 
oi attempting^ to develop a few of the larger markets. 
This association also believes in direct sales. In a 
questionnaire which was referred to the membership of 
the association a short time ago the fact was revealed 
that despite the fact that'this association Was but re¬ 
cently organized the directors of the local associations 
believed that the farmers in most of the communities 
had received an increase of $3 per ton for their cabbage 
and 10c more per bushel for their potatoes at loading 
points where the associations operated, than at other 
places. In order that the volume of business may be 
increased and thereby cut down the overhead, the asso¬ 
ciation is employing B. J. Rikert to give his entire time 
to organization work with local associations. 
The grape growers of the State are becoming inter¬ 
ested in their marketing problems. The leaders of the 
organization movement have been at a loss to know 
what was the best way to proceed with their problem 
until they had a number of meetings, and found that 
they had similar problems in practically all of the 
grape sections, n«>t only in this State and Michigan, but 
in the Dominion of Canada. On August 11 of last 
year a meeting was called at Rochester to discuss with 
men from various sections what could be done. Out of 
this meeting there grew a committee which became 
known as a central organization committee, to work 
with the marketing committee of the New York State 
Farm Bureau Federation, whose function it was to de¬ 
velop plans' for a central sales agency. This committee 
had various meetings from iime to time, but on March 3 
they held a meeting in Buffalo, at which time co-opera¬ 
tive organizations front rile Hudson River Valley. Fin¬ 
ger Lakes section. Chautauqua County. Monroe County. 
Wayne County. North East, Pa., and Ontario, Canada, 
together with representatives of co-operative organiza¬ 
tions of Michigan, were present. At this meeting it 
was thought that all growers in the East might unite 
under a general plan for selling their 1922 crop. There 
was also considerable interest shown in advertising 
table grapes and reviving the smaller baskets for the 
sale of grapes. On March 28, representatives of the 
above mentioned groups met in Buffalo. Sales policies 
"ere discussed, end also advertising campaigns. After 
discussing the pros and cons of the proposition, the 
following resolution was passed: 
"We. the undersigned, do hereby resolve to form a 
Central Grape Association, and do hereby authorize the 
appointment of a committee of seven, with power to act 
in perfecting the organization of the Central Grape 
Association.” 
The signers of this resolution were G. Arthur Wel- 
stead. president Niagara District Grape Growers, Can¬ 
ada; Edwin B. Gelder, president Lake Keuka Associa¬ 
tion: II. 8. Fullagar. Lake Keuka Grape Growers' As¬ 
sociation. Inc.: Frank B. Cupp. St Joseph. Mich.. As¬ 
sociation: D. 1.. Thornton, Southern Michigan Grape 
Association; E. .T. Williams, Seneca Grape Growers’ 
\ssociation ; B. C. Miner. Chautauqua ami Erie Grape 
Growers’ Association; C. S. Aldrich, Chautauqu and 
Erie Grape Growers' Association; C. II. Hays, Key¬ 
stone Co-operative Grape Association, North East. Pa.; 
L. E. Prater, Paw Paw Co-operative Association, Paw 
Paw. Mich. ; Fred Johnson. Westfield C. & E. Provis¬ 
ional; E. L. Chase, Hudson Valley Grape Association. 
The committee also made detail plans for spreading 
market news quickly to all the centers of production of 
grapes. Plans for a rapid relay of news is being worked 
out. The organization committee is already busy fur¬ 
thering plans which provide for incorporation, & ^ p. 
