Jfe RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
49 
Another Milk Fight Is On 
The Producers Are Standing Firm 
A NEW DEVELOPMENT—A milk fight suddenly 
developed in New York City on New Year's Day. 
The Dairymen’s League set $4.01 per hundred pounds 
as the price of milk for April. Dealers refused to 
pay more than $3.60. Neither side would yield on 
the last day of the old year, and the fight began on 
the first. Borden’s and Sheffield Farms reduced the 
price to consumers one cent a quart, and farmers 
stopped the delivery of milk. 
CONFLICTING REPORTS—And so the fight is 
on. At this writing it is only in the third day. Re¬ 
ports are somewhat conflicting; hut the city supply 
is growing less daily. That was also true of the 
first stages of the 191G fight, but on that occasion 
the dealers denied the scarcity and insisted for 
nearly a week that they would have a full supply. 
Now they admit the shortage already, hut announce 
that a full supply will come later from outside 
sources. 
PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS.—So far the fight is 
being conducted on the lines adopted in the first 
light two years ago, except that in 1916 the fight 
was directed by the Commissioner of Foods and 
Markets under the authority of the State, while 
the present fight is directed by the executive com¬ 
mittee of the League. The plan adopted by the 
department, however, of bringing in all the milk 
possible and selling it to small dealers and stores, 
is being repeated, and the fact that the supply is 
already’ reduced one-half indicates that producers 
acted promptly on short notice and the prospect of 
success is most encouraging. 
INVESTIGATION COMMITTEES.—The District 
Attorney of New York County is continuing his in¬ 
vestigation of milk and has announced that 
the Federal Attorney of the district is watching 
the proceedings and ready’ to take action if develop¬ 
ments warrant. In his first message to the Legisla¬ 
ture, delivered on the day’ the fight started, and of 
course prepared days before, Governor Smith said: 
The present high cost of milk is a public menace. 
It is unnecessary to describe the misery, disease and 
death that follow an inadequate milk supply. Thou¬ 
sands of poor people, and especially children, are de¬ 
prived of sufficient nourishment on account of the high 
cost of milk. There are three parties in interest, the 
producer, the distributor and the consumer. Each is 
entitled to have his interests safeguarded, but not at 
the expense of the others. 
I propose to appoint a commission composed of fair- 
minded representatives of these three interests to in¬ 
vestigate the methods of handling this important com¬ 
modity and the whole milk situation, and speedily to 
make recommendations as to possible legislation with 
the object of reducing costs of production and distribu¬ 
tion, so as correspondingly to reduce the cost to the 
ultimate consumer. 
PRODUCERS’ FIGHT.—Whatever may come 
later, this fight must be won by producers. They 
have taken into account the cost of production and 
made a price accordingly: now it is every producer’s 
duty to himself and his industry to insist on having 
that price for the month of January. If anyone is 
yet in doubt, we invite investigation of production 
cost. We all sympathize with poor city people, and 
especially poor children, when the cost of milk is so 
high that they cannot have a full supply, but neither 
the city. State nor Federal Government has ever 
done anything effective in the milk distribution 
1 roblem, except what the State did two years ago 
through the Department of Foods and Markets, and 
the department was quickly destroyed as a reward 
for its activities then. The city, through the Health 
Department, has always favored the dealers and 
tampered the dairy industry. During the war the 
Federal Government, while permitting and encourag¬ 
ing an increase in the cost of production by its sanc¬ 
tion of the high cost of feed, labor, and other sup¬ 
plies, insisted on a price for milk below the cost of 
production, while it allowed full cost plus a profit 
for all its factory supplies. One of these concerns 
1 just declared a dividend of 200 per cent. Even 
lie Government has no power to take property with- 
cut just compensation. On every thing the farmer 
buys the manufacturer sets his price. The farmer 
has an equal right to set the price on bis productions. 
What is more, he is going to do it. Governor Smith 
rightly speaks impartially for all interests, but he 
simply sanctions what farmers have already ap¬ 
proved. He is known to be friendly to an economic 
system for distribution, and his interest in the 
problem may be safely regarded as a distinct gain 
to the producers. 
THE PRODUCER’S STAND.—Avoid unlawful 
acts, but keep the milk at home and make up a 
supply of butter until the price is accepted by the 
dealers or the city’. They can well afford to pay 
the price and reduce the cost to consumers at the 
same time. With facilities, we will guarantee to dis¬ 
tribute at two cents a quart less than the dealers 
charge, and make money on the operation. 
A FIGHT NEEDED.—While it is a hardship for 
farmers to lose their income at this time, in some 
ways the fight is the best thing that has happened 
in two years. The experience must make it clear to 
everyone that there can be no fellowship, no com¬ 
promise and no fraternity with the milk trust. There 
were pacifists during the war; but practical men 
knew that we could have no peace until Gennany 
was licked. Now we can give her fair terms of 
peace. Just so we must fight the milk trust until 
it acknowledges its own defeat and the dominance 
of the producer in the milk problem. Then we can 
make the price to the consumer; and pay the dealer 
all he should have and no more. This was our 
original plan, confirmed and sanctioned by producers 
themselves. It was approved by small dealers and 
by consumers of all classes. It is the plan on 
which the first milk contest was fought and won. 
Now that the claws of the trust again show through 
•the silken hand we must fight to a finish. Under 
present conditions it had to come sooner or later, 
and for one we welcome the opportunity to fight it 
out now. 
We must and we will win this fight. 
Let us win it on a straight issue without eondi- 
'tion or compromise. We will co-operate with any 
authority, city, State or Federal, to reduce the 
cost of production and distribution; but we cannot 
assume all the burden. Remember what our boy’s 
did for democracy on the fighting line in Europe. 
This is our opportunity to do our part for the 
principles of democracy at home. 
A Statement of Principles 
New York Federation of Agriculture 
Our New York State agricultural law needs re¬ 
vision from beginning to end. No one is satisfied 
with it in its present shape. No one feels that the 
people of the State are getting results commensurate 
with the expense. 
We, therefore, ask Governor Smith to appoint a 
joint committee of legislators, farmers and con¬ 
sumers to revise the agricultural and food laws and 
transportation law relative to food distribution. This 
is essentially a farm function and practical farmers 
should predominate on the committee. The com¬ 
mission should have for its aim: 
I-—To eliminate all useless, contradictory provisions, 
legal jokers, and duplication of functions and services. 
II.—To organize the department on a strictly business 
basis. 
HI.—-To make the administration of the department 
responsive to practical farm needs and accountable to 
public farm appeal. 
IV.—To stimulate the development of the agricultural 
industries of the State by the solution of distribution 
problems, as well as by the encouragement of increased 
production. 
We hold these principles to be fundamental : 
That an efficient and economic distribution of food 
is a public function; that both producer and con¬ 
sumer are benefited by efficient and economic dis¬ 
tribution; that a monopoly in food distribution dis¬ 
courages production; that a full supply of food can 
only be assured by making production profitable: 
and that the preservation of our system of inde¬ 
pendent farm freeholders is essential to maintain 
and safeguard the vigor, intelligence and ideals of 
our citizenship, and the stability of our free institu¬ 
tions. 
We hold it. therefore, to be the duty of the State 
to provide the public facilities, such as transporta¬ 
tion, abattoirs, cold storage and terminal markets, 
with proper State supervision and control, to prevent 
speculation, monopoly and profiteering in our food 
supplies and other farm products, to the end that 
both the production and consumption of food may¬ 
be encouraged by a ready market, a full supply and 
prices established under the law of supply and de¬ 
mand. 
Dairying being the greatest agricultural industry 
of the State and a full and regular supply of milk 
being a necessity to city consumers, we hold it to 
be the duty of the State to see to it that milk is 
distributed by an efficient and economic system in 
the interests of both producer and consumer. 
We favor an increased State appropriation for 
country district schools, and when the child completes 
its primary studies in the schools we would guaran¬ 
tee it a seat in a high school at a reasonable tuition. 
Since a surplus in a foreign market sets the price 
for the whole crop at home, if our surplus of food 
goes to feed the people of Europe, we demand access 
to the competitive markets of Europe, or if the pur¬ 
chases are made through a single governmental 
agency, then we demand that the price be fixed to 
cover the cost of production and a reasonable profit. 
To prevent monopoly and speculation iu farm 
products we demand a verified report for publication 
of all cold storage and other speculative holdings of 
food with a check system and penalty for false 
reports. 
If any soldier elects to own a farm we believe the 
Government should encourage that ambition, but to 
reclaim vast areas of waste land and people it with 
Inexperienced farmers would be a calamity to the 
established farms, and an absolute cruelty to the 
men and families we aim to help. We look with 
disfavor on the colonizing propaganda, but we 
heartily approve wise provision for the boys who 
saved democracy. 
We oppose the tendency to multiply official public 
positions and to increase salary budgets in Govern¬ 
ment departments and in public institutions. 
We favor a continuance of the Federal system of 
inspection and grading of farm products as con¬ 
ducted during the war to protect shippers of pro¬ 
ducts sold for delivery or consigned to distant mar¬ 
kets. 
We favor the enactment of Federal laws to estab¬ 
lish a competitive market for the purchase of meat 
animals and the sale of packer products. 
Up-State Farm Notes 
NEW HUNTING REGULATIONS. — The 1919 
hunting licenses are now in the hands of all county, 
city and town clerks. The license buttons are light blue 
in color, and the fees are $1.10 for residents and $10.50 
for aliens. A non-resident angling license costs $2.50. 
Clerks are urged not to issue licenses to boys under 16 
years of age. With each license for 1919 the applicant 
will be given a small folder in a manilla envelope, in 
which to record the number of quadrupeds, birds and 
vermin killed under the 1919 license, and no 1920 
license will be issued without such record properly filled 
out. He will also be asked to state approximately his 
kill during 1918. The Conservation Commission de¬ 
mands this in orde ; r to ascertain the State’s resources in 
food and game animals, and to insure the enactment of 
wiser and better game laws. If a 1920 license should 
not be desired the holders of 1919 licenses are asked to 
report their kills in 1919 just the same. 
UNUSUAL CHARITY WORK.—With an unpre¬ 
cedented number of orphaned children in the State 
there never was so much need of charitable work, and 
never before has there been so much done in the lead¬ 
ing cities up-State as during the present holiday season. 
Syracuse gave its needy ones near $3,000 and has in¬ 
stituted the idea of a charity or mercy chest with a once- 
a-year canvass of the city for funds for the work. The 
idea seems as promising as did the city’s war chest idea, 
which originated here and was copied so widely. The 
mercy chest seems wise, as it carries with it an education 
for the people in systematic giving and demands a sys¬ 
tematic distribution and study of the needs of the poor. 
DAIRYMEN’S ORGANIZATION ACCUSED—It 
is not hard for farmers to read the underlying purpose 
of a milk investigation such as the one now being held 
in New York, when disgruntled farmers who have re¬ 
fused to sign up with the Dairymen’s League are allowed 
to accuse the League of blacklisting dairymen not be¬ 
longing to the organization, and of using force, and 
driving them out of business. It was understood that 
Mayor Ilylan demanded an investigation of the distribu¬ 
tion and production of milk. The latter has been very 
thoroughly investigated several times. Why begin with 
it again? Why not give the public some facts about 
distribution that it has never been privileged to hear 
before, instead of rehashing these well-known themes so 
often? For instance, why not satisfy the public and the 
farmers as to who gets the cream of the average city 
milk? The average ultimate consumer gets milk testing 
3 per cent butter fat. or very little if any more. A 
large part of the milk going into the city at this time of 
year tests 3.4 to 4 per cent butter fat. The farmers are 
paid strictly according to their butter fat test of milk, 
and the consumer is thankful if he gets even a 3 per cent 
milk. What becomes of this valuable amount of fat that 
somewhere disappears on the route from producer to 
consumer? This is only one of mfiny points the public 
has much interest in. 
MARKET NOTES.—Last week cabbage sold at cars 
in Homer for $16 per ton, and potatoes at $1 per bushel. 
This week cabbage is $15 and potatoes SOc to $1. Buy¬ 
ers said they expected a rise before this, but it has not 
materialized. Ideal December weather prevails, with 
some snow, but no sleighing. A Fabius man a week ago 
tapped his sugar bush and had a good run of sap. 
Farmers with hard maples that have not been tapped in 
years are trying to locate second-hand buckets and 
equipment for sugar making for the coming Spring. The 
price of new tin or galvanized iron buckets is nearly pro¬ 
hibitive. So far this season three times as many apples 
have been released from State points as bad been a year 
ago now; lo,948 cars to date. A recent seven-day 
total shipment numbered 763 cars. Last year the move¬ 
ment averaged around 75 to 80 cars weekly, with but 
3.1S0 cars to this date. Record shipments of cabbage 
were made in December. 6.151 cars being released to 
date from State points. The season’s total of last year, 
ending April 30, was 6.551 cars. Wisconsin, long a fa¬ 
mous cabbage State, has averaged one-third of our ship¬ 
ments so far, and there are no other competitors in sight. 
New York has also led all States in onion shipments, or 
2.000 cars to date. Massachusetts and Ohio are the only 
competitors in onions, excepting the long-season States 
of California and Texas. State shipments of potatoes 
are 1,500 cars ahead of the total of one year ago. 
URGES FEDERAL CONTROL OF SCHOOLS.— 
Dr. Payson Smith, Commissioner of Education of Mas¬ 
sachusetts, a State noted for its fine school system, at a 
convention of academic principals of the State, held in 
Syracuse, made a plea for Federal control of the schools. 
“The war has revealed,’’ he said, “as never before the 
many-sided character of our schools. The war has made 
it plain that education has to do with the development 
of the soul, as well as of the body. Millions of parents 
have reason to thank Secretary Baker and Secretary 
Daniels for their insistence that their boys be compelled 
to live under clean conditions, with the result that Per¬ 
shing has commanded the cleanest body of men ever 
known.’’ He urged a department of education in the Cab¬ 
inet. with an appropriation of $100.000.<XH> to start it. 
He recommended that all instruction be in English, and 
said that a national program would insure properly 
trained teachers. m. g. f. 
