943 
“All Should Know the Truth” 
This is the caption of an article pnhlished by R. 
D. Cooper in the Ansnst issne of the Leasne News, 
in which he ingenionsl.v tries to convince dairymen 
that Mr. Dillon had nothing to do with the seven- 
cent milk in New York dnring the month of Jnne, 
bnt claimed credit for what others had done. Our 
brief references to the work intimated the truth. 
Here are the facts in more detail: ^Mr. N. A. Van 
Son. who was the first aid in the milk fight, and now 
manager of the Country Milk Company, called ns on 
the telephone, saying he had conclnded to adopt Mi*. 
Dillon’s plan to break away from the milk tnist 
rules, and sell milk as cheap as possible in the city: 
and asked if ]Mr. Dillon would help him. Tie said 
that he would go ahead independent of IMr. Cooper’s 
opposition to the plan. An appointment was made 
for a conference at Ttte R. N.-Y. office. Later ilr. 
Van Son wrote an apology for inability to keep the 
appointment. Another appointment was then made. 
i\Ir. Dillon insisted on the seven-cent price to con¬ 
sumers for .Time. Mr. Cooper had already accepted 
price of Sl.SvT per hundred to the iirodncer and that 
conld not be changed, and the purpose was to in- 
m*ease consumption and reduce the snridns which 
was causing the company frightful losses. Finally 
Mr. Van Son consented, a price was agreed upon and 
Mr. Dillon succeeded in getting a large and valnable 
amount of advertising for the plan in the city papers. 
This was in the form of news articles at various 
times and in approving editorials, ilaynr Tlylan. 
IMarket Commissioner Day, Commissioner Copeland, 
of the Board of Health, and District Attorney Swann 
approved and promised coflperation. When the 
dealers’ drivers stole the milk in the early morning 
liours from in front of the grocery stores, and 
dropped .iunket tablets into it. Mi*. Van Son reported 
to Mr. Dillon, who secured help of the District At¬ 
torney and the police inspectors, and protected the 
milk. The consumption of milk was largely in¬ 
creased. Other dealers were forced in many cases to 
sell at the same price, and the surplus was redu(‘ed. 
It was clearly stated as a farm movement to get 
milk cheap to the consumer, and Mr. Dillon’s and 
Mr. Van Son’s names were used merely to inspire 
confidence in the work, which the editorial comment 
nlainly indicated th.it it did. It was also part of 
Ihe i>lan to follow up in .Tnly in the .same way and 
also to sell milk in bottles to the stores. Mr. Cooper 
gave the work no encouragement. It was unde»*- 
stood all along that he was opposed to it; and later 
in an open meeting before the Federal IMilk Commis¬ 
sion he apologized to the dealers for reducing the 
price on the ground that other dealers had first cnt 
the price and taken away some of A’an Son's cnsto- 
mer.s. Mr. Dillon was unable to devote his time to 
;be work longer than to get it started; but donated 
his services at Air. Ahan Son's request for the month 
ot .Tune, and the result of the plan was entirely 
successful. 
Tlie bulletins sent the city papers by Air. Dillon 
are on tile, and tlie stenographer’s notes yet in ex¬ 
istence. There was no reference in them to the or¬ 
ganization of the milk company by Air. Dillon or to 
any credit to hims(>lf for it. Some of the reporters 
took liberties to enlarge on the facts as they usually 
do to vary the story in different papers. 
Air. Cooper admits that this was the incentive of 
his personal attack on Air. Dillon. But he does not 
tell all. He prepared an untruthful statement to 
justify the story he lu-ints in the News, and requested 
A'an Son and other directors of the League to sign 
it. I'lie others refused, and A'an Son told him he 
would not sign it for a million dollars, so that he 
knew when he printed the article in the News that 
it was not true. 
Siich are the simple facts. Every item can be 
proved beyond question of doubt. If anyone would 
like to do so The R. N.-A'. will cheerfully pay all 
ihe expimse necessary to suppl.v the proof. Every 
one of the othm* attacks on Air. Dillon can be re¬ 
futed with equally conclusive and available evidence, 
.and the same offer applies to each and every one of 
them. 
■Uhe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
at reasonable cost for distribution, doing away with 
profiteering speculation and manipulation and returning 
the farmer .a fair share of the dollar, and the American 
farmers will feed the world. 
*‘The world needs the food and the farmer needs the 
dollar. Help us do it. No man has opportunity for 
greater service for either the present or future genera¬ 
tion. On this assurance the farm vote will_ be unani¬ 
mous and the women vote equally conclusive. They 
would appreciate a man of the farm sympathies of ('ol. 
AA'illiam Boyce Thompson for second place. 
“AVhile conscious of the sacrifice it would entail. I am 
encouraged by your splendid spirit of jmblie service to 
appeal to you now on behalf of the farm interests of 
this State and of the nation’s need for food to permit 
us on this issue to elect vou rrovernor of New York 
State.” 
The New York Federation of Agriculture can be 
committed to any candidate only by a referendum 
vote of its members; but all its leaders and members 
that could be reached were in favor of Colonel Roose¬ 
velt on an endorsement by him of the purposes of 
the Federation as they understood he had virtually 
done already in his Saratoga speech. 
Col. Roosevelt finally refused to enter the primary 
for nomination on the ground that he wishes to give 
all his time and energy to war work. AA’’e want to 
put this incident on record as evidence of the non¬ 
partisan spirit of the Federation of Agriculture and 
its leaders and of their sincere desire to serve the 
best interests of the plain people of the State. AA’^e 
regret that Col, Roosevelt could not see his way clear 
to accept this nomination. AA’^ith his gi*eat public re- 
(ord. his earnestness, his desire to serve the nation 
in this trying hour, and the pathetic and stin*ing 
record of his family he is now the greatest dominat¬ 
ing figure outside of official life. He would have 
swept New York like a whirlwind and every dis¬ 
couraged and hesitating man or woman trying to 
work out their hard farm problems would have 
taken new hope and vigor from his leadership. The 
Federation of Agriculture stands for big men of 
broad vision in office—the best Americans regardless 
of their ]iolitics. 
The N. Y. State Federation of Agriculture 
AAMIY certain OFFICIALS OPPOSE IT.—Far¬ 
mers ought to have the information to enable them 
to pass intelligent judgment on the hysterical oppo¬ 
sition inaugurated in certain official and semi-official 
circles against the organization of the New York 
Federation of Agriculture. It arises from a well- 
defined. policy of that class of citizenship. It is in 
natural opposition to another and a larger class of 
workers and producers who seek an expression of 
their interests and needs through the Federation, 
and who feel that the other organizations have failed 
to soi’ve them in their present needs. 
THE OB.TECTTONS OF OFFICTALDOAI. — The 
official class in their opposition to the organization 
of the Federation assert: 
t1) That the Federation is urged and organized 
l>y certain individuals princijially for their own per¬ 
sonal advantages. 
t2) That the Federation will prove to bo not what 
it'appears to be. 
(H) That no new organization is necessary: that 
•i union of existing old organizations should be 
effected; and ihdf mch miion should he effected hit 
e.recit.tive eommUtees of State organizations and not 
through local units. 
THEY ATAI TO THE FARAIER AND DE- 
LIA^ER HIS A'OTE.—Nothing could more clearly 
define the attitude of our official coterie of citizens 
i-han the last senteiu-o of paragraph three. A\’’e are 
indebted to them for stating it so plainly and 
frankly. They assert tlnit they know what is good 
for the plain fanner better than the farmer knows 
for himself. They do not want the fjirmer to have 
full information. They want to give him only .such 
Miformation as they think good for him and for 
themselves. They do not want him to think for 
himself and form independent judgments. fi’hey 
want to hand him judgments ready m.ade. The plain 
larmer does his duty when he pays his dues and 
elects them to the executive positions. Then the.y 
become the organizations, and the bigger 
and politicians take care of agrii-ulture by appoint- 
that it will do just what they have been doing and 
.pist what the Federation is organized to prevent. 
THE FEDERATION WORKS IN THE OI'EN.— 
As the Federation is oi*ganized any State organiza¬ 
tion of farmers may become a member as well as 
Township or other local organizations. Some of the 
State organizations are now members. There is 
nothing to prevent thq others from doing so; and 
if properly presented to their membership a vote 
would probably result in f.avor of a membership in 
the Fedei*ation, But none of its otticers and no com¬ 
bination of its officers can commit the Federation to 
anything. They can form no secret alliances or 
agreements. The authority to commit the Federation 
in any case is vested in the farmers who com)K>se 
the membership. Office holders are not eligible to 
jiositions in the Federation. No officer of the Feder¬ 
ation can sell the influence of its positions for a 
political job. It was expected that this provision 
would provoke opposition. It did. We are glad to 
have the issue joined. We predict now that the 
same provision will yet be made by other organiza¬ 
tions. 
A UNION OF EXEri^TIA’'E COAIAIITTEES of 
State organ!z.ations would be a satisfactory organi¬ 
zation for the memiiers of the committees. They 
could ]>romise the farm vote and pledge the farm 
influence for any measure that would suit their pur¬ 
poses. and in exchange takes the best jobs available. 
They have been doing this same thing for the past 
20 years or more, and in that time not a bill for the 
benefit of the farmer has been permitted to become 
a law in Alliany without containing a joker that 
either impaired its efficiency or destroyed its pur¬ 
pose entirely. The State organizations meet only 
once a year and the rank and file of their member¬ 
ship could have little or no influence on the execu¬ 
tive committees. Again a large number of the far¬ 
mers of the State are not members of the State 
organizations, and they are not in any way remotely 
represented in a federation of them. One reason for 
organizing the Town.ship I’^nits is to bring in this 
large farm element. 
A A'OICE FOR ALL.—Women are not represented 
in the State farm organizations, except in the Oran¬ 
ges. and the local township unit aft'oi'ds an oppor¬ 
tunity for their activities. There is no conflict of 
interest between the Federation and other farm 
organizations. The men and women interested in 
its organization are for the most part members of 
the Oranges, the Dairymen’s I.,eague. and other State 
organizations. They have no thought of deserting the 
old organizations; but they realize the insufficiency 
of them for promoting the purposes for which the 
Federation is being organized. Alen had their clubs 
and their business organizations. Women had their 
tea meetings and card clubs; but when there was 
real work to do the men organized an army, and 
the women built up the Red Cross. Alen and women 
of the farm are charged with the duty of protecting 
and developing the agricultural interests of the 
State. They do not propose to leave the work to 
anyone else. They want to do it themselves because 
they have learned from experience that no one else 
will do it for them. One year ago the State asso¬ 
ciations failed them and the obnoxious township 
school law was imposed on them. They took the 
matter in their own hands, organized local units, and 
repealed a law only one year old. The local unit 
has for them the prestige of success. This may be 
one reason why the official opposition to the Feder¬ 
ation has fallen on deaf ears. 
Up-State Farm Notes 
FARAIERS’ STOCK ENIIIBIT.—The seventh an- 
„aal stock show and picnic of N.n-th (^-D'Uga ami Oni^n- 
daga County fanners will be held in ® Oio\e, 
AvUsport. August 15. Last year over 2,000 persons 
iitteiuhU this event, and the fame of this stock show 
has spread until double that number is expected this 
veai*. A sale of prize cattle will be held, and the women 
will enjov a canning demonstration by AIiss_ Alary n. 
Bowen. Onondaga County home demonstration agent. 
AV. N. Giles, secretary of State Grange, will give a war 
-II iiii-v time address, and a community chorus has_ been traiiiecl 
L ! ; for the-occasion. A full program of athletic events will 
officials py the Sherwood and AAhiedsport Granges, and 
Theodore RooseA'^elt for Governor 
After Colonel Roosevelt had practically indorsed 
all the purposes of the New A'ork Federation of 
Agriculture and its policies for economic distribu¬ 
tion of farm food products and a square deal for the 
farm, Air. Dillon wired him promptly at his country 
home and urged the ex-President to consent to his 
nomination for Governor of New York to help the 
f.irm interest out of its present chaotic condition: 
“Develop a system through farm co-oiioration and 
State regulation and facilities to take food from tlie 
farmer’s hands and lay it down at the consumer’s door 
be given by .- 
tho woiiion of Cuto Grange 'Will drill. 
TAX DISTRIBUTED BY STATE.—The 
new cor- 
i„« tl.ein to Jobs. Of colu-se tlie,y ore Hion soirt. 
They wou'd not dai-e defend an agricultural interest almost total exemption which corporations formerly 
They would lose the job if mjoyed, and the State now does its taxing on the basis 
of earnings, sharing with the localities one-third of the 
amount collected. State Comptroller Travis announces 
tliat $4.{)2:5,001 is the total amount collected under the 
new three iier cent tax. Of the proportionate share re¬ 
turned to the counties New York City takes over half, 
without additional expense. The amounts returned to 
some of the other counties are: Cayuga, 5 
Genesee, 
Steuben. , . . , 
Yates, $2.24<). The total amount was raised from man- 
if they wanted to do so. 
they did and they know it. The system has worked 
in tliis State for a generation; and the Federation 
is the fir.st organized jirotest against it. Of course 
the men who protited by the old s.vstem will fight 
the reform. Some of 'the friends of the Federation 
did not look for the opposition. A\"e did. AVe are 
glad it has come. The lines of cleavage are now 
the otlier coniines are. v uk.i. , 
$12,04*2 ; Livingston, ,$7,294 ; Ontario, $S,2()7 ; 
$20.115: AAhiyiie, $9,0*25; AVyoming, $2,487; 
. , , rr.. , , T nf.nctiiring and mercantile companies, heretofore exempt, 
drawn straight. The men who have used farm oi- aggregate will form the State’s greatest in- 
ganizations for a generation for selfish purposes are come. 
now (qiposing the Fi'deration from the alleged fear (Continued on Page 047) 
