1049 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
“Resolutions” and “News” 
Oil tlio opposite pnso is :i reforoiiee to the eowavrtly 
'.\ork I'oiiij; (lone by tlie Dfiiriimvn'i^ Lcof/itr Xrtra. 
h'liis ])apei- does not fairly ivpres('nt the T-oasin'. hut 
only a small hand of politicians who hav(‘ si'cnrc'd 
control of its machinery. lOach month it iirints hit¬ 
ters or so-called “resolutions,” hittm-ly jittackinjx INIr. 
Dillon or 'fin: It. N.-Y., hut it ri'fnsc's to print the 
other sid(‘. We have coiiii's of many letters and reso¬ 
lutions which have hi'en sent the News for pnhlicu- 
tion, hilt were refns('d. The oh.jc'ct of the N<'irH is 
to attempt to make farmers Ix'lieve that there is no 
oii]iositiou to the policy of tlu'se politicians. Tt is 
the same thins on a, small and jahty scaile which any 
man will find in the political i»arti('s when he tries 
to stand np for honest reforms. lie will always find 
the politicians poisonins the minds of the plain 
peoide hy lyin.s ri'iiorts and prejudicial opinion. 
The fact is that a majority of Liaisae memhers 
realize that the orsanization nei'ds overhanlins 
and cleanins- Tluw are not oppos('d to the Liaisne, 
and have no thon.sht whahwer of injnrins it, but they 
do want it condnctc'd mor(> in line with the plans 
recently iriveii in Tiik It. X.-Y. Tlu'se people are ex- 
pressiiifji themselv(*s tre(*ly. hut the News denies them 
*l place in their own imhlication. I he follovini? 
I'gsolntions jiassed hy the ^lexico, N. Y., Dranch of 
the T.eaiine is a sample of what is hein.i; said and 
done. If the News thinks it can sit on the lid much 
lonjrer it is welcome to the job I 
Wl'.croas : President It. D. f'ooiier and his associates 
h.-ive made iin unwarranted attack npou tho piihlislier of 
Tiik ItriiAi, XT.w-Yorkku. the best friend the fanimr 
erer had. for honestly criticising the actions of the 
< xeentive committee of the Dairymen’s I.eas'ie. _ 
lie Tt Resolved: That w<', memhers of 
llranch. in meeting assembled, believe it for the best ot 
onr organization, that ^Ir. (’ocpier refram fr/an siicli 
weak and petty attacks, and concentrate his ellorts into 
action that will at least obtain for us tin; cost ot pro¬ 
ducing milk. ' 
Resolved: That in the oiiinion of the meinbers of 
Me.xico Rraiich No. !):{, the Dairymen’s League, since 
April. 1917, the actions of Prt'sident (ooper ami the 
executive committee have been ojien to much criticism 
among the rank and file of our meinbers by granting 
one concession after another to the milk trust. 
bigiiod FENNLLL. .Tr., Pres. 
R. R. DALLADIIKR, Yice-Pres. 
HARRY DIRP.S. S('c. 
S. D. MANNINH, 'I'leas. 
M. E. DOLPll, rimirman. Ex. Com. 
History of a Local Milk War 
.V PRORLEM IN ETHICS.—A little time ago I 
c:nne across a problem in League ethics. ^Many readers 
(•f this are members of the Dairyimm’s T.eagiie, and I 
am going to put the <iut'.stion u)) to tlumi after it has 
been explained. Tlu'se farmers were selling milk through 
the League to an evaporating plant. Late in .lune word 
V as rcceiv('d from the I.eague luuKhiuarters that the 
((.ncevn would pay for .Tuly milk only what tlu'y had 
1 t'en paying for .Tunc, and that the farmers should be 
ready to hold back the milk on tlie first of .Inly if the 
< ompany continued to refuse to meet the price lixed 
lietwi'en the League and the dealers and to complete the 
purc-hase in the usual way. The next day word came 
to the secretary of the local Li’ague to hold the milk 
unless notified of its sale. This was a circular letter 
and the same usually sent out to local secretaries. Tt 
has been tin* understanding all along that such is the 
course members are (‘.xpected to follow; hold tlu' milk 
unless notitii'd of its sale. 1’he same day it was found 
t liat the company had posted notices that they would 
I'ay the regulation price. Was that siiflicient? No 
word came from the League as to sab'. It was now 
late in the afternoon of Saturday, .Tune llPth, and the 
chances for getting word to League Inauhiuarters and 
back again were not of the Ix'st. However, it would 
seem that from 2 i.'lO to live o’clock ought to give tlu' 
teb'grapii comimny time to get a me.ssage to New York 
from 200 mih's up-State and ixu’mit a. reply, and the 
mns.-^age was sent. The reply did not come. 
PERl’l.EXED PRODPCERS.—Here is the chance 
for you T.cague men to say wliat you would have done. 
The comiainy said tlu'y would not pay the price, then 
post(Hl notices that they would. W('re they s(‘tting a 
trap to catch somebody and get a wedgi' into the lauigue? 
One of the local officers said he f.-nored taking in the 
I’.iilk on Monday, the first of .Tuly, (weu if the League 
sale was not anuounc(>d from New Y'ork. Tt is a time 
to cut red tape, he said. During the forenoon Monday 
it would he possible to get word by telegraph or 'phone 
and if the sale had not been proiierly made a meeting 
((Olid be cxilh'd iu the afternoon and proper steps taken. 
Others said that th(\v believed that to deliv('r ^londay 
without word from the New York office would compro¬ 
mise the farmers and compel them to sell for the month 
whether the milk had Ix'en regularly sold or not. Re¬ 
sides. they believed that tlu'y should do exactly as 
din'cted by the X’ew York ofiicis which was to hold the 
milk unless directly notified of its sahx Now if you 
have decided what you would have done I will toll you 
'.vhat these farmers decided to do. Tlu'y held the milk 
on Monday morning as directed from X’ew York. 
THE RTdHT COTHISE.—It is small use to remark 
that trouble r('sult(“d, but it will be pro))er to say that 
the matter iinally went to Mr. .John .Mitchell, .State 
Food Commissioner. IMr. IMitchell has worked hard for 
organization among coal laborers and others. He has 
stood for organization among farmers. I’resident Schur- 
inan of Cornell said of him. “He is a constructive states¬ 
man.” TYhen the facts were presented to him he called 
the officers <if the company to his office and emphatically 
>:.id that these farmers did the only thing they had a 
right to do. He demanded that the concern take back 
tl;<> dr.irymcn who obeyed the orders from the League, 
and finally it was done. This is the position of the 
gri'at labor leader. That may not change the opinion 
of the reader who decided a few minutes ago that the 
(onditions did not warrant the holding of the milk. It 
may he well to state tluit the concern did finally, at the 
Last minute, on f^aturday buy the milk from the T.eague 
iu the regular way, but through some error in the office, 
this branch, out of the nine hundred to be notified of 
milk sales, got omitted and no word was sent to them. 
THE DEALERS’ ATTTTLDE.—There is aiuAher 
side to think about in this matter, and that is the 
dealers’. TYhen the farmers held the milk ^londay 
morning until they could get a telephone communication 
with New York, the local manager became angry. It 
was ('leven o'clock before word reached the local farmers 
(hat the milk had been sold. At once the farmers com¬ 
menced to foiuvard the milk, but the manager declined 
to accept it. So far as that day was concerned there 
Avas no criticism to be made. It could have been taken 
care of, but not so conveniently, and the farmers would 
not have criticised the management over the refusal, 
but it was a'Lso announced that no milk would be ac- 
ceiited from those farmers again. Now what do you 
think of the ethics of those (lealers? It seems to me 
that a tactful manager would have let the thing pass, 
even if there had been no real occasion for the farmers 
holding the milk. As a matter of fact this concern had 
been delimiuent, so we were informed, about completing 
their contract f;n- a long time, and had made considerable 
trouble over ju-ices and conditions. In reality they were 
the original offenders. Noav when they fancied they were 
not treated xvith commendable consideration they pro¬ 
posed to revenge on the men who had made it possible 
for them to continue in business and-make money. 
REXLVLTZING DAIRYMEN.—There is a sequel to 
this story, however. It was a serious matter for the 
farmers. It is irue that through the elfoi-ts of IMr. 
Mitchell the milk Avas taken back for the greater part 
of the month, but the concern announced that so far as 
those Avho Indd the milk Avas concerned they must look 
(■IscAvliere on the first of .Vugust. The farmers did not. 
falter, but took the comiiany at its Avord. There Avas a 
emunery in toAvn that Avas unoccui)i('d. but in line con¬ 
dition, and could be had for less than tAventy-five thou¬ 
sand dollars. It Avas bought Avithin 20 days after the 
.•ittempt commenced, and iiractically jiaid for in cash, 
and Avas oiieiu'd for bu.siness on the first of August Avith 
nearly 200 patrons. The milk is sold for full League 
prices and everything is moving nicely. It is also inter- 
< stlng to note that the concern Avhich caused the trouble 
by their arrogance thou began to beg for milk, but they 
got almost none. Too bad that there Avere a feAAU per¬ 
haps a half dozen, who did continue to deliver milk to 
the old c(>ncern. The management stated, Ave are in- 
fornn'd, that they had the lieague locally right Avhere 
they Avanted it, and they proposed to si'ilit it. Those 
fanners Avero anarchists, they said, and must be disci- 
lilined. IVhat do you think of a person Avho deliberately 
sides Avith thoin? ^Yhat of the etliics of such a course? 
True, business interests are commonly ready to sacrifice 
farmers for their own advantage and this must be ex- 
p('ct('d. It Avas tried in this case. What of the ethics 
of such business, or of such desire to control? 
ir. Ti. r.. 
'Various Grain Questions 
I have raised L)0 bushels of high-(|uality Avheat suit¬ 
able for seed. Seedsmen charge upAvard of per 
bushel for this A'arii'ty and (piality. \Yill the govaun- 
ment permit me to sell some of fhi.s wheat to my neigh- 
i)ors at a price above comimu-cial quotations for flouring 
Avlieat? ji. 
X'cAV Jersey. 
J on may sell this Avlnuit for semi at a somewhat in- 
creasi'd jjrice, as the govorument recognizes that the 
use of choice Avheat for seed is good practice, and that 
this, grain costs the iirodiicers more than ordinary com¬ 
mercial grain. The siiirit of government control is to 
cut out the excess jirolit in all mwessities and utilities, 
and any farim'r selling seed grain must bear this in 
mind. He can figure approximately hoAV much a(idi- 
tioual cost has been' put into the grain ami base a fair 
profit on this figure. Much variation from this might 
cause interference by the local administrator. The (Jov- 
ernment ('xpects jn-oducers and dealers to be fair in 
matters not covered by technical rulings, and Avill take 
steps to do aAvay Avith unfair practice*. 
Local buyers will pay only .$2.10 for our Avheat. whih; 
(he official price for this grain at Ncav York is .$2..‘{7V2. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. j{. 
The Food Administration si'ts the iirice on Avheat at 
tlie various large market.s, but do(>s not undertake to 
say Avhat the farmer shall be paid locally. It is ex- 
ju'cted that the local buyer Avill base his offering price 
('ll the figure prewailing at the market to Avhich it Avould 
he shiiiiied. If he does otherwise he is liable to investi¬ 
gation :ind may be disciplined for unfair practice. If a 
producer fmds sure that he is not given a fair price by 
his local buyer, ho may take the matter up Avith the 
blanch of the Food Administration Crain Corporation 
iu his mmri'st large market, in this case RulTalo. Au¬ 
thenticated samples of the grain .should be taken and all 
details of the transaction recorded. If the administra¬ 
tor finds that the buyer is making an unfair jirofit based 
on the si'lliug pri:-e at the market Avhere shipjied, he may 
straighten the m itter out by inducing the buyer to make 
restitution to the farmer, or, failing in tliis, the dealer 
will be summoned to a hearing and disciplined if found 
guilty of unfair practice. Of course, no such action can 
be taken unless ihe evidence as to the grade of Avheat 
is clear. The fact that a man merely thought he Avas 
being used unfairly Avould be no ground for action. 
Is the amount of Avheat flour that may be u.sed per 
capita to be regulated by Iuav? a. P. 
Reunsylvania. 
X'eAV regulations issued by the FoiAd Administration 
Avill Avipe out Avhat is knoAVU as “Avheatless days.” After 
September first straight flour Avill be .sold by retailers, 
and luirchasers must buy Avith it 20 per cent of other 
cereal flours. ,\1I bakers’ bread shall contain 20 per 
cent of other cereals. There is no laAV to comjiel house- 
bidders to mix the substitute Avith the wheat Hour, but 
the Food Admini-stratiou relies on them to dij so. 
Cornmeal for the use of corn bread should be pur¬ 
chased separately. What is known as “Yictory bread" 
hereafter Avill contain 20 iier cent of a substituti'. 
Wheat and barley flour Avill be mixed in the proportion 
of four pounds -Af Avlu'at flour to oiu' imund of barb>y 
flour. Corn flour is mixed one pound Avith four pounds 
of Avheat flour. \ mixed Avheat and rye flour contains 
three pounds of Avheat flour and not less than tAvo 
pounds of rye flour, thus making rye a legal Avheat sub¬ 
stitute and increasing the demand for it. xVll of these 
si'-called Victory flours may be sold Avithout substitute, 
but at no greater j)rice than in the case of standard 
Avheat flour. 
During the past year the Food Administration ruled 
that the consumption of Avheat flour in bakeries shouhl 
not exceed 70 jier cent of last year’s consumption. This 
rule will be rescinded Septembei first. The former rule 
limited the sale of wheat by retailers to one-eighth of a 
barrel in the citie.s, and one-fourth of a barrel in the 
country distri(ds. This will be ri'scinded September first 
and it will enable country millers to grind Hour in rea¬ 
sonable quantities for farmers. There will be no re¬ 
striction on .sales by millers to wholesalers or retailers 
This will help the situation in the country districts, a.s 
the farmers may havm their Avheat ground. Some of 
our readers ask if they could not have their Avheat 
ground in this Avay and then sell the flour. In order to 
(lo this legally, it Avill be neces.sary for them to obtain a 
licens(s as this AA’ould make them a retailer under the 
laAV. 
Uncle Sam ha,s asked us .-ill to raise Avheat. and I have 
complied to the extent of loO buslnds of the finest 
Avheat I ever saAV, and I haA'e seen much in (50 ye.-irs. 
Rut our good Uncle has not told us hoAv to get it to 
him. The dealers in this section will not buy anything 
better than suitable for chicken feed. K ii. 
IVestchester Co., N. Y. 
This complaint is general. Thousands of farmers 
have groAvn a few acres of Avheat for the first time iu 
years. They Avill groAV more if given any encourage¬ 
ment. I’mler the present rules many dealers refuse to 
buy and millers Avill not grind. Apparently they are 
Avaiting for a chance to get this wheat at a Ioav figure 
by refusing to buy it mnv. We take the position that 
the Food Administration ui-ged these farmers to rai.se 
Avheat. and in doing so virtually guaranteed them a mar¬ 
ket. Therefore Ave believe the Food Administration 
Avill .see that such Avheat is sold. We advise Avriting to 
the Sc'cretary of the drain Administration in the near¬ 
est large city— Ncav York, Boston. Philade]])hia. Buffalo, 
Baltimore, etc. Write a respectful letter, asking Avhere 
this grain can be sold. 
Up-State Farm Notes 
SEED OUTLOOK FOR NEXT YEAR.— dims. F. 
Saul, for .'17 year.s a leading up-State deah'r in seeds, 
says that .seeds for 191!t u.se Avill reach a m-AV maximum 
price because of the great .shortage, Avith jiractically no 
supply in some varieties. Reports from dealers hero 
and abroad nmeived Avithiu a few days state that they 
Avill be able to meet but a small percentage of dealers’ 
orders. Foiaugn seed deahu-s report that they Avlll he 
able to furnish but 25 to .‘50 per cent of the contracts 
for lettuce, .50 to SO per cent of radish. (50 to 75 per 
cent of onion, .‘50 per cent of cabbage iioav in their 
hands. One of the largest concerns in California re- 
p-orts the radish crop there a failure and total ina- 
bifity to make contracts for seeds. For six Aveeks not a 
shii) has sailed from Denmark to our country carrying 
sei'ds. \ commission from the D.-inish (Jovi'minent is 
IIOAV in Washington di.scussing the iiossibilities of resum¬ 
ing the shipping of seeds here. Never have groAvers 
fac('d such a serious shortage as the inadi'quacy of ship- 
ping facilities noAv promises. The importance of home- 
groAving of all imssible seeds is more and more in 
evidence. 
“dDDD BlfSI.XESS INSTEAD DF GOLD BRAID.” 
—;Tho report of Adjutant (Jeneral vSherrill to dovernor 
Whitman shows a groAvth in the (dliciency of the Stat(‘'s 
military. Through a readjustment of dejiartments. re¬ 
ducing their number and simiilifying their proceilure. 
the payroll of temporary (Muiiloyec's has been reduc'eil 
from .$11,000 monthly to .$2,00(). Within a comiiara- 
tiAU'ly short time the State Avill have .500,000 men in 
the Federal service, and is preparing to have one mil¬ 
lion if the government nei'ds that number. Appreciation 
of the co-operation of the various chambers of com¬ 
merce, boards of trade, draft boards and civic patriotic 
associations Avas expressed in the report. 
F.VRJIERS PLAN R.ld EXIIIBTT.—One hundred 
farmers of Cayuga County are planning to contribute 
fruit, grains or vt'getables for the county exhibit to la* 
put on by the Farm Bureaus at the State Fair. The 
outlook is good from all the counties, and the county 
('xhibits lU'oinise to I'xcel the Avmiderfiil shoAving eAmn 
of last year. Last year 14 counties entered this con¬ 
test, Avith Cortland the Avinner on a score of 92, Avhile 
Cayuga stood third on a score of J’his year .‘555 
counties have entered, and Secretary W. N. Giles of 
the State ({range as superintendent has given a Auist 
amount of attention to the Avork. Cayuga, Avith E. C. 
Weatherby as manager of the Farm Bureau, has an 
(>ye on the first place this year. All counties are given 
a reimbursement up to ,$200 each if a creditable sIioaa’’- 
ing is made to cover co.st of transportation and assem- 
biing, with vouchers shoAving actual expense, each to 
have a booth 12x20 feet in a building set a.side for the 
piii'iiose. If this feature is a siicci'.ss this year it Avill 
be made a permanent policy of the fair. With the very 
gi'in'rous premiums and the care that is being given 
the exhibits, Avhich are to be educational rather than 
an advertiseimuit of any particular locality, succe.ss is 
already assured. 
POTATO SLTHIP.—The Syracuse North Side 5Iar- 
ket saw the loAvest price of the simson for neAV potatoes 
this Aveek, .$1..'50 a bushel. Tomatoes bring .$1 to .$1.2.5 
a Inishel; eggs .50c, and butter 4Sc. The.se are usually 
the to]) figures for any public market up State, Avitli 
grocers’ prices to farmers at a considerably loAVcr figure 
in general. 
CROPS OF 191S.—Commissioner of Agriculture 
Chas. S. Wilson, in a report to the Farms and Markets 
Council, .s'ays there is a shortage of 5 to 10 per cent iu 
milch cows in the State, Avith a further shortage to be 
made this Fall, due to short hay crop and high feed 
price.s. He says there is a big decrease in the number 
of calves being rai.sed this year. All crops are reported 
as above the average excepting hay, ajiples and peaches. 
Cannery products for this year are 1.5() to 200 per cent 
greater than in 1917. .\pples are better than last year, 
but only two-thirds of the ten-year average crop. 
M. G. F. 
