RURAL NEW-YORKER 
70! 
The Milk Injunction Case Decision 
A decision Inis been made by Judge Crouch of the 
State Supreme Court in the injunction case of Fred¬ 
erick C. Barnes against Borden’s Farm Products 
Company, and the Dairymen’s League Co-operative 
Association, Inc. The decision seems to be rather 
technical, and leaves the main question to be tried 
out in trial if there be further provocation. Some of 
the lawyers call the decision ambiguous. The court 
seems to restrain Borden’s from refusing to pur¬ 
chase milk of any farmer because the farmer refuses 
te become a member of the pooling association; but 
Borden’s are not restrained from acting in good 
faith to buy milk from whom they like and only to 
the extent of their requirements. The restraint is 
that they must not refuse to buy the milk of a farm¬ 
er because of an agreement with a Ihird party to 
coerce the farmer into doing something which he 
considers against his interests to do. This seems 
little more than a statement and affirmation of the 
law in the case of conspiracy and restraint of trade. 
Whether the law has been violated or not is not de¬ 
cided. If the Borden’s Company refused to buy 
Mr. Barnes' milk for reasons of their own, they seem 
to be within their legal rights. If they refused it 
because of an agreement or understanding with the 
pooling association that it should not be bought un¬ 
less he complied with conditions agreed to between 
Borden’s and the association, they are in what the 
law calls a conspiracy. The decision restrains such 
act Neither of these contentions is decided in this 
ease. The facts in either contention would have to 
be proven in a trial or in proceedings for contempt 
of court. 
An item in the citations indicates that there are 
22 other cases pending against the same defendants. 
Merrill, Sisson & Hagan are attorneys for the plain¬ 
tiff, and not W. R. Pratt, as erroneously stated in a 
previous reference. 
A New Milk-selling Company 
Another dairy organization has recently been 
incorporated in New York State. This has been 
in existence for about a month. The name of it is 
Eastern States Milk Producers. Inc., with offices at 
102 Paul building, Utica, N. Y. It is a capital stock 
corporation, organized under the business laws of 
New York State. The capital stock authorized is 
$10,000. It lias been formed by nine farm-owned 
local milk plants in Central New York, located in 
the following places: Fultonville, St. Johnsville, 
Canajoliarie, Indian Castle, Little Falls. Middleville, 
Prospect, Syracuse and Lacona. Each plant sub¬ 
scribes for a portion of the stock, and has one 
director in the organization. 
Each plant is owned and managed locally, and 
will continue to be so owned and managed inde¬ 
pendently. The object of the organization is mutual 
help in such matters as can be best done collectively. 
They will employ a representative to look after the 
general interests, and to keep members informed. 
Each plant, however, will sell its own milk, hut the 
organization proposes to confer with other organiza¬ 
tions and with dealers in establishing the price of 
milk. It emphasizes the principle that it is not the 
purpose of the organization to oppose any person or 
other organization, but first to serve the best interests 
of its own members, and, next, the interests of dairy¬ 
men generally. The plants are now shipping about 
4,000 cans of milk daily to the New York City 
market, and have facilities to handle double that 
amount or more. 
The officers arc: President, Morgan R. Garlock, 
Indian Castle; vice-president, Fred I. Pinckney, 
Syracuse; secretary, Roscoe Sargent, Lacona; treas¬ 
urer, Barney J. Shunt, Little Falls. 
The Dairy Crisis; Settle it 
The trouble in our dairy organization is more serious 
than many dairymen seem to realize. The present 
crisis has not resulted from a failure of some dairymen 
to sign the pooling contract. This split is only a symp¬ 
tom of the real trouble. It is like the pain that directs 
a doctor to an ulcer at the root of a tooth. It may be 
likened to the vibration in a car. due to the fact that 
the machinery has never been properly adjusted and is 
out of alignment. The trouble is fundamental in the 
organization. It' every non-pooler signed the contract 
today it would only remove this one symptom. The 
real seat of trouble would yet remain. No pain-killer 
will cure an ulcerated tooth. You may get the members 
together again, hut the causes that led to this split, if 
not removed, will produce another breach. 
I shall not at this time attempt to diagnose the trou¬ 
ble, nor prescribe a remedy. To do so would only add 
new fuel to tlie lire of controversy, and delay, if it did 
not destroy, the opportunity to make peace. Helpful 
ns publicity is in developing a spirit of compromise, 
these differences cannot be adjusted through newspaper 
discussions, nor by correspondence. There are contro¬ 
versies now that threaten to disturb the peace and 
welfare of the whole world; but the people are tired of 
strife; and the foremost men of the world, friends and 
foes, meet in conference and compromise their differ¬ 
ences. There is no more secret diplomacy or private 
commitments. The aims of one and all are revealed in 
public, and the people of the world sit in judgment on 
them. Under that policy the public opinion of the 
world will dictate the terms, and the policies will be 
founded on justice. We can subject our dairy prob¬ 
lems to the same treatment with assurances of similar 
results. 
While I cannot agree with all Mr. Nelson’s conclu¬ 
sions, as given last week, I do approve his suggestions, 
especially his appeal to get together to ward off the 
effect that must, follow if this crisis is permitted to end 
in disorder. To give direction to his appeal I suggest 
that the State Commissioner of Agriculture be re¬ 
quested to caff a meeting of representative dairymen 
of both sides, jnehuling organization leaders, and let 
them explore the whole subject in open discussion, and 
then formulate a policy agreeable to all. 
A DAIRYMAN. 
Cheese Making in Northern New York 
Dairymen who ship milk will he interested in our 
system of cheese making in upper sections of Sr. Law¬ 
rence Bounty. N. Y. In De Ruyter township we have 
five cheese factories. These are associated to produce a 
uniform grade, and employ one man to sell the cheese. 
Our neighbors in McCombs township have eight fac¬ 
tories, run in the same way. These salesmen market 
the cheese direct in the big markets like New York and 
Boston. The new system has relieved us of the troubles 
we formerly experienced in the exchanges at Gouver- 
neuv and Canton. 
In our system the cheese maker owns the factory. He 
furnishes all the supplies except the milk. We pay him 
1 % cents a pound and give him one-half of the whey 
butter. This is his pay for making and supplies. The 
cheese is then olirs, to make the most of it. We appor¬ 
tion it in this way: The inilk is tested for fat. and to 
the fat test we add 7 per cent for solids not fat. Then 
the cheese produced is computed on the basjs of the 
combined percentage. For example, I have 350 lbs. of 
milk testing 4 per ceut. My combined percentage is 
4 per cent phis 7 per cent, or 11 per cent of cheese in 
my milk. Then, 11 per cent of 350 is 38.5 lbs. 
The cheese yield of all the milk deliveries is esti¬ 
mated iti the same way and totaled. The amount of 
money received for the cheese is then divided by the 
total, and this quotient multiplied by the pounds of 
cheese estimated by the above formula to be in each 
patron's milk, gives his share of the proceeds. 
The lowest price we have yet realized this year on 
lOti lbs. of milk is $1.35, ami the highest $1.85. We 
have the whey extra for feeding. We are obliged to do 
our own carting to depot. We are under contract with 
a Boston house, and receive within three-fourths of a 
cent of the New Y'ork high quotations. R. G. A. 
St. Lawrence Co., N. Y. 
Notes From Farmers 
At present there is not much to sell on the farm. Po¬ 
tatoes are the main thing just now. and farmers are 
rushing them to market as fast as possible. Many 
farmers held their crop last Fall, thinking they would 
be higher this Spring, but. where they sold for $1.50 to 
$2 per bushel then, they are only bringing $1 a bushel 
now. Some farmers have 300 bushels of choice tubers 
on hand. Pork is selling at 14c for light aud 11 to 13c 
for heavy. Beef, 7c; veal. 11 to 13c. Eggs range from 
22c to 28-300. Butter, 38c to 40c. Hay is selling at 
$23 off the car; not much hay in this vicinity; have it 
shipped in from Onondaga County, baled. Not much 
demand for straw. Wheat is not. grown touch in this 
locality. Things that a farmer must buy are very high, 
and things that he has to sell are low. Timothy seed, 
$4 to $4.60 per bu.; Mammoth clover, $.17 per bu.; 
Alsike, $15.40 per bu. Farm machinery is high, but 
not as high as last year. Farmers are not complaining 
much at present, and the prospects are fairly good for 
the coming year. At present the rains are hindering the 
farmers from getting in their oats as s<*nu as they would 
like. Many farmers are investing in lime this year in 
hopes of getting more hay the coming year, ns the hay 
crop was very short last year. A few farms are idle 
near here. Many are doing what they can themselves, 
as help seems scarce. Wages vary from $30 per month 
up; day labor is $2.50 per 10-hour day. g. a. b. 
Oswego Co., N. Y. 
Farmers in this section seem to be generally dissatis¬ 
fied and in a bad condition. I do not think the outlook 
for this year is any better than last. Pork, dressed, 12c 
per lb.; No. 1 veal. 7c, live weight; skim-milk calves, 
2 or 3c per lb. Potatoes, $1 per bu. Butter brought us 
for the last half of April 39e per lb. Eggs. 2.>e. Maple 
sugar buyers paid $1.25 for syrup, 12c for tub sugar. 
Cows are selling around $65. Farmers’ produce seems 
to be low. but anything they have to buy seems to be 
high. Pork that we sell for 12c is retailed for 30c. It 
seems to be the other man that gets the profit, not the 
farmer. R - s - s * 
St. Lawrence Co.. N. Y. 
The principal farm products we sell here are milk 
and eggs. This section of the State is devoted to dairy¬ 
ing. The price of milk here is $1.75 per 100 lbs. Eggs, 
30c tier doz. The farmers iu this section do not devote 
their time to farming, but to hoarding houses, which is 
more profitable. It is very hard to earn a living from 
milk here, because we receive a very low price. The 
prospects for the future do not seem bright. Farmers 
are having auctions every day, and selling cows much 
cheaper than the last four years. B. J. 
Sullivan Co., N. Y. 
Due to unfavorable weather, farmers are behind with 
all work; very little sowing done, and the outlook for 
the coming year is anything but favorable, unless mar¬ 
ket prices brighten up. Hay is getting scarce; great 
many buying, paving from $18 to $20 per ton. Milk 
for May is quoted at $1.70 per ewt.; retailers are pay¬ 
ing from 35c to 38c for butter. Potatoes are bought 
from farmers at $1 per bu. Last report pork was 
bringing $16 per ewt. Cows this Spring have sold as 
low as $25, the best from $50 to $75. Tiie late frosts 
have damaged the coming hay crop, but hardly think the 
orchards have been hurt. Four-weeks-old pigs have 
brought $5; veal calves, $S to $9 per 100 lbs.: eggs. 25c 
per doz. t» s. 
Schoharie Co., N. Y. 
We Must Bestir Ourselves 
I read what Senator William M. Calder said on page 
047 about daylight saving. At the time the matter was 
put through it occurred to me that the same result 
would have occurred, sauely. by opening factories, 
stores, banks, schools, one hour earlier, so long as there 
was any need for it, without the confusion of setting 
the clocks ahead an hour. The method adopted will for¬ 
ever Stand as a piece Of thoughtless bowing CO War psy¬ 
chology. It seems, though, that the international bank¬ 
ers have the arm of the President and control of Con¬ 
gress, and behooves us to bestir ourselves and change 
the Constitution so that the vote of the people will de¬ 
cide whether we go to war or not. Our Legislatures 
and Congress seem to have almost no other function 
than to increase interest bearing bonds and increase 
taxation. President Adams and Alexander Hamilton 
said, "The rich, well-born and able should rule the 
rest,” aud that may be why our public policy seems to 
be to keep the masses in ignorance and enact class leg¬ 
islation by means of a controlled Congress, manipulated 
by the invisible government, which was, as Alexander 
Hamilton ptlt it. "the control of affairs by trained states¬ 
men, co-operative with rich property owners.” Prob¬ 
ably direct voting on laws will he the only way to over¬ 
come the heritage of Adams and Hamilton. 
Michigan. EZRA averiix. 
An Ex-Service Man on the Bonus 
[No matter what our own opinion regarding the sol¬ 
dier’s bonus may be. and our readers understand it, we 
wish to let the soldiers fully present their case. We 
therefore print the following temperate and typical 
letter.] 
AN OVERSEAS^ QUESTIONNAIRE.—As a mem¬ 
ber of The R. N.-Y. family and also a member of the 
American Legion. 1 wish to answer the question raised 
in your editorial on page 490. Your statement that the 
service men “were promised substantial reward, and 
that the nation may well show the gratitude which it 
so profusely expressed in words.” brings to mind the 
remembrance of days spent in a hospital bed in France 
when a "cheer-up man" came to the ward and in behalf 
of the government distributed questionnaires for us to 
fill our. aud which 200.900 men signed, stating they 
wanted to settle on farms. This kindly gentleman 
promised us (either officially nr unofficially) that we 
would receive compensation. Now, the question is, was 
this gentleman exceeding his authority? Did he speak 
for the government, or the people?" 
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.—Yon are absolutely 
correct that it is the general feeling among ex-service 
men that the opposition to the bonus or compensation 
(call it what you please) is evidence of ingratitude. It 
has always been my personal feeling that the people at 
home, and even the men who served behind the lines, 
have never realized the price of victory. This is nat¬ 
ural. for no man has told the story of the front, words 
being inadequate. But this much seems plain, and 
should be realized. Had defeat been our portion, the 
opposition to the bonus of the Prussian Guard would 
have been of no avail, and the businesses "staggering 
under the burden of taxation.” would have an all¬ 
crushing load to carry. 
WHERE TIIE MONEY COMES FROM.—You 
want to know where the money for this bonus is to 
come from? It isn’t to come from Wall Street or any 
other group, but from the American people, for whom 
we fought and who enjoy the fruits of our victory and 
profited financially from our pain. Don’t tell me that 
there is not the money to pay this bonus in this coun¬ 
try. Where are the millions labor received in the war- 
work factories, yards and shops? Labor has spent it, 
you say. Who took it from labor? The retail mer¬ 
chant. and if he has passed it on to the manufacturer, 
etc., it is nothing to me or any other ex-service man. 
CIVILIAN COMPENSATION.—The one thing that 
hurts more than anything else in thinking of the oppo¬ 
sition to the bonus is the fact that by the Dent Act 
$3,000,000,000 was paid to war contractors to com¬ 
pensate (not a bonus’) them for loss of property 
brought about by the cessation of hostilities, and no 
unpopular sales tax was advocated by the Administra¬ 
tion. The United States Chamber of Commerce con¬ 
ducted no campaign against the Dent Act. And even 
you, the staunchest representative of rural people, re¬ 
mained quiet. Was the Dent Act just? Certainly. 
The treasury paid $500,000,000 to the railroads to com¬ 
pensate them for losses resulting from war service; 
$40,000,000 was paid mine owners for losses resulting 
from their attempt to increase production, and count¬ 
less millions wore paid to Shipping Board contractors 
for their losses. Is this justice, to compensate for 
property losses, ami deny compensation to those who 
offered their lives, blood and best years of their lives? 
TIIE WORK LESS SERVICE MEN—Away up 
here in God’s country, wbhin one week, two ex-service 
men. "on the bum,” stopped at the door to beg food. 
Their talk was bitter, with hints of trouble again; this 
time- oh, well. I won’t put it down, for it was only 
talk, hut it came from embittered hearts. Was there 
such a surplus of patriotism in evidence in 1917 that 
the nation can afford to destroy patriotism today? 
MONEY IN SIGHT—The Hon. A. Pratt Andrew, 
formerly Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. Director 
of the Mint and Professor of Economics at Harvard, 
and now member of Congress from Massachusetts, 
states (and 1 feel he is qualified to speak) that the 
compensation "au be paid without any special tax or 
bond issue. The British government has announced it 
will pay to the United States £50.000.000 (over $200,- 
000 .000) in July, due as interest. If every man chose 
the cash feature of the proposed bill it would require 
$1,500,000,000 within three years. If all men took 
paid-up insurance it would require 85.000.000.000 with¬ 
in 20 years. These two amounts are the minimum and 
maximum amounts of the proposed compensation bill. 
Combining the interest due (and now in sight) from 
the British government with the $200,000,000 yearly 
saving resulting from decreased expense of army and 
navv, and the money to be derived by the liquidation 
of the War Finance Board in July, and the boasted 
savings of the Budget Committee, the bonus can be 
paid without increased taxation or bond issue. All the 
Allied governments hue paid their men bonuses. Can- 
pot this nation do as much? This nation, that suffered 
least, and grew fat as a result of the war, is the only 
nation to hesitate. A just debt should be paid. A 
nation, as an individual, need pay its debts or lose its 
standing in society. Delay will be costly. Speaking of 
the compensation measure before Congress following 
the Revolution. Washington said: "I may be allowed 
to say that it was a part of their blood and of your 
independency; ir is therefore more than a common debt; 
it is a debt of honor; it can never be considered as a 
pension or gratuity, nor canceled until it is fairly dis¬ 
charged “ Washington accepted a bonus of 3,000 acres 
of land and $176,000. Lafayette received even more 
by special act of Congress. Lincoln accepted a bonus. 
Would these men have done this had it not been just? 
If it was just then, is it wrong now? 
Columbia Co., N. Y. roland h. aulen. 
