The Story of the Milk Strike 
A SUDDEN ENDING.—The settlement of the 
milk strike came last week just after we closed 
t lie forms, and we were able to open a page to make 
only a brief announcement of the result. This was 
a repetition of the experience at the end of the first 
milk fight, two years ago. The first fight lasted 13 
days. The second lasted IS days. In the first the 
fanners had nearly a month of warning. In the last 
contest they had practically no warning at all. On 
both occasions the dealers had evidently prepared in 
advance, hut this time apparently with more plan. 
They brought milk from great distances and handled 
it with skill and efficiency. 
VOLUME OF MILK.*—In the 1016 fight the vol¬ 
ume of milk reaching the city was reduced at one 
time to about 15 per cent of the regular supply. It 
was claimed this time that it did not fall below 70 
per cent of normal and the day of the settlement it 
was claimed that it reached ST per cent of normal. 
The estimates were given out by the Board of Health 
and it was perfectly apparent that it sympathized 
with the dealers. The reports from families indi¬ 
cated that the supply was shorter than the reports 
indicated. On the other hand the Board of Health 
allowed milk to come in from great distances under 
conditions less stringent than required regularly 
from nearby producers. In the first fight, when we 
proposed to bring in milk under special inspection 
but with some requirements suspended, the health 
board sided with the protesting dealers and refused 
“to vary the regulations a hair’s breadth.” as the 
commission expressed it. 
OFFICIAL ATTITUDE.- Hi the first fight* the 
Mayor and the health eommis ion. with one or two 
city papers, were against the producers. All the re¬ 
porters. nearly all the papers, the consumers and the 
District Attorney’s office were on the side of the 
producers. The State, through the Department of 
Foods and Markets, directed the fight against the 
dealers. This time the State was neutral, with a 
balance in the State committee favorable to the city. 
But in the first tight we had only about 13.000 mem¬ 
bers with nothing but a record of defeats behind us, 
and this time there were 60,000 members with a 
tradition of at least one triumph to inspire and en¬ 
courage them. In some sections in the first tight the 
workers had difficulty to keep the shippers in line. 
In the second week they began to show weakness. 
I his time the producers were, if possible, more stub¬ 
born and defiant than the workers. The longer ir 
went the madder they got. and there was every 
indication that they would, if necessary, hold out all 
Winter. The cool defiance of tin' Utica meeting was 
one of the most inspiring acts of courage and de¬ 
cision that ever came from a body of men. IVhen 
that decision was made the dealers were marked for 
certain defeat. 
THE FARMERS' ROWER.—The experience again 
I moves what we have always contended, that farmers 
will stick in a square, honest fight for a right or a 
principle, and that they can and should dominate 
the milk situation. As a matter of convenience the 
milk dealer is useful to farmers as an agent, but he 
is not essential to them. The dealer, however, is 
helpless without milk, and the farmer controls it. 
As yet the dealer controls the implements of dis¬ 
tribution, and this is the only weakness in the fann¬ 
er s position. There is no question about the ad¬ 
vantage of the farmer in the control of these facili¬ 
ties. He simply cannot afford not to own them. 
The sooner he gets into possession of them the better 
it will be for him. The experience of the past has 
amply demonstrated that we have nothing to hope 
from friendship, concessions, or fraternity with the 
milk trust, and nothing to fear from its opposition. 
They have fattened on tne traffic so long they find 
if hard to come down to ordinary fare. When they 
professed a friendly disposition for the League, it 
was only with the mental reservation that they 
would be permitted to pick the best fruits of the 
organization for their own baskets. That chance 
having passed, the talons again shone through the 
silken glove. A control of the implements of whole¬ 
sale distribution will strip them of any past terror 
that may yet linger with them. 
THE TWO STRIKES.—The first fight was neces¬ 
sary because the price offered was ruinous, and we 
had no facilities to deliver the milk even at whole¬ 
sale ourselves. The second was approved on prin¬ 
ciple. but even if a continued series of strikes would 
lesult in satisfactory prices, we believe it cheaper 
for producers to control the means of wholesale 
distribution for themselves. During the past year 
or two we have lost more than $1,000,000 through 
fhe failure of dealers. It is difficult to estimate the 
cost of a strike, but with 60,000 members with an 
average of 12 cows and making three cans of milk 
fltor RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
daily, there would be a loss of about $200 for each 
member. .Some delivered regularly, and others got 
considev ble return in butter or cheese, but if we 
allow one-half for this, a net loss of some $6,000,000 
would remain. The estimate seems high, and yet 
milk runs into money fast. These seven millions 
would buy some equipment. Besides, the disputes 
and agitation cause resentment in the city. Our 
natural customer and friend, the city consumer, be¬ 
comes resentful and the consumption of milk is de¬ 
creased. We ought to be doing everything possible 
to increase it. The more friends we have the more 
milk we will sell. If we can find a way to save in 
fhe cost of delivering milk, the farmer may have his 
cost of production and the consumer will be his 
friend. No mayor, district attorney or editor will 
then dare raise a hand against the milk producer. 
New York Federation of Agriculture 
Last week. Thursday. January 16. the New York 
federation of Agriculture held its annual meeting in 
connection with the New York State Horticultural 
Society, in Rochester. N. Y. The principal address 
was made by Senator Gore of Oklahoma. The pith 
of his address was that farmers should be as thor¬ 
oughly organized as labor, and that farmers should 
take an active part in the present reconstruction 
policies of the country. 
Vice-President Samuel Fraser spoke of the evils 
of political influences on the agricultural institu¬ 
tions of the State, and instanced the suppression of 
reports on the sugar beet industry some rime back 
in the interest of members of the Legislature, who 
were sharing the bounties paid by the State. Dr. 
W. II. Jordan referred to his experience with the 
budget system of making appropriations for Geneva 
Experiment Station. lie had an assistant at $1,800 
a year authorized by the budget. The man was 
offered $4,000 in another place, and would be cheap 
to the State for the price, but the dire: tor was 
obliged to let him go because he had no authority 
to meet the offer from other places. Dr. Jordan em¬ 
phasized the hope that farmers, through the Federa¬ 
tion. might find a way to secure appropriations for 
agricultural institutions without the necessity of 
trimming sails to meet the purposes of politicians. 
This is not a literal report of the doctor's language, 
hut members in attendance agree that it does express 
the substance'of his remarks. Mr. S. L. Brockway 
of the Breeders' Association, II. N. Giles of the 
Grange, and a member of the Dairymen's League 
from Niagara County spoke on the need of farm or¬ 
ganization and the necessity of co-operation among 
the member of the organizations. 
The members of the Horticultural Society passed a 
resolution indorsing the "Statement of Principles” 
of the Federation as published in Tiie R. N.-Y. Jan¬ 
uary 11. page 40. and elected three members, namely: 
Seth J. T. Bush, Samuel Fraser and J. A. llepworth, 
as delegates to represent the New York Horticultural 
Society in the Federation. Officers re-elected were 
president, Frank M. Bradley: first vice-president, 
Samuel Fraser: second vice-president, Robert Sea¬ 
man: third vice-president. Fred W. Vail; treasurer, 
Fred W. Cornwall. 
The purposes and framework of the Federation 
appeal strongly to farmers in all parts of the State, 
and from other States as well, and there is a strong 
demand for the development of the organization. It 
is generally felt that the opposition to it from some 
quarters last year grew out of a political incident 
that cannot recur again in a similar form, and that 
from now on there will be no cause for opjmsition to 
a movement clearly in the interest of the farmers of 
the State. 
The Strike in Tioga County, New York 
“The Strike” in our county today carries but one 
thought to the minds of dairymen. It is the milk strike, 
their strike, the most powerful weapon of the labor 
union, adopted and adapted to their needs, by the milk 
producers of our State. An old weapon, there is yet 
something new in the way in which dairymen are wield¬ 
ing it. With quiet confidence in their now demonstrated 
power, dairymen are exercising a self-control which 
makes this two-edged sword irresistible in their hands. 
The reading of metropolitan newspapers during the 
strike, and reports of the unjustifiable attitude of some 
New York City officials have given members of the 
Dairymen’s League the feeling that public sympathy 
was being alienated through well-calculated efforts of the 
Milk Conference Board, and that they were losing the 
powerful support of public opinion which did so much 
to give them the victory in the fight of 1016. Even up¬ 
state papers, closer to the producer, failed in too many 
instances fairly to present the producers’ side of the con¬ 
troversy and gave the impression of lukewarmness, at 
least, in their support of what they should have known 
to be right. This did much to cause uneasiness in the 
minds of many, but failed utterly to break the confident 
spirit of those who felt that, because their cause was 
just, it must win. 
A still greater cause of concern was the action of 
comparatively small dealers in New York City and the 
evident failure of the League to have foreseen and pre- 
183 
P a r °*l a Possible pooling of milk in the interests of 
the Milk Conference Board. Many dairymen were 
forced to practically throw away their milk while seeing 
neighbors sell at League prices to those who were using 
that purchased milk to crush the League. In not a few 
instances milk tha-t had not been properly sold was di¬ 
verted to these purchasers and was helping to swell the 
volume of the city’s supply. Nothing could have been 
more cunningly devised to break the spirit of the strike 
than chis obvious injustice, and that it did not succeed 
spoke more eloquently for the solidarity of the new organ¬ 
ization than anything else could have done. Unselfish¬ 
ness in being willing to see others profit through their 
loss is not an outstanding trait of any class; that dairy¬ 
men should display so much of it was tremendously to 
their credit. 
The dairymen were unfortunate again in not having 
had any notice of the possibility of a general strike, 
though this failure to give warning brought out the 
strength of the League in a most striking manner. No 
intimation of possible trouble had been received until 
near evening of the last day of grace in December. The 
night’s milk was in the cans ready to be taken to the 
shipping station the next morning before the jingling of 
telephone bells over the hills gave notice that no more 
milk was to leave the county until official notice of its 
sale had been received. In spite of the impossibility of 
reaching every milk producer before morning, but few* 
cans of milk reached the shipping stations, and, from 
many localities, not one. My own branch, of whose 
record I am proud, did not deliver a drop of milk from 
the time President Cooper’s telegram was received till 
the strike was officially declared off. nor would it had 
the strike continued indefinitely. Of its over 30 mem¬ 
bers. several, who had not received notice on the pre¬ 
vious evening, started for the shipping station on the 
morning of January 1. but they promptly turned back 
upon meeting the first neighbor who was able to apprise 
them of the state of affairs. With few* exceptions this 
held true for the entire county. After the first day no 
milk that had not been sold at League prices left the 
county, save from the dairies of those recalcitrant few 
who will long feel .he sting of the unmeasured contempt 
of their neighbors. 
The failure to i*eceive due notice of a possible strike 
and the consequent unpreparedness probably caused an 
even greater loss to Tioga County dairymen than was 
felt in 1016. Few were prepared with separators or 
with young animals that could utilize skim-milk. Many 
cans of milk that had been produced at a heavy cost 
were practically thrown away, not a few* being turned 
upon the ground after having been skimrrted with a tea¬ 
cup. Some who were fortunate enough to have hand 
separators loaned the use.of them to their neighbors, 
and. before the strike was over, a considerable volume 
of cream was being shipped to a market in Buffalo. The 
loss was thus becoming minimized, but not until many 
were given ample capse to regret that they had not pro¬ 
vided themselves with means to salvage their milk on 
Mich occasions. It is safe to say that the lesson has 
not been lost and that before another strike can occur 
Tioga County dairymen will be in a position to at least 
temporarily care for their product and market it in sonm 
form. m. k. ». 
Canada’s Plan for the Soldiers 
How Canada is managing the business of placing her 
returned soldiers on farms was told at a meeting of 
State extension directors held in Baltimore on January 
8 by President G. C. Creelman of the Ontario Agricul¬ 
tural College. He said: 
"These men fought our battles and won them while 
we stayed at home. When they left for overseas we 
told them that nothing would be too good for them when 
they came back. As they return we find them eager and 
anxious to get to work and to find a place in our life and 
forget the war. It is only right that we should do 
everything to meet this wish; not to keep them waiting, 
but to find something at once for them to do. ‘Nothing 
too good’ in their minds is not heroics, a brass baud 
parade, and friendly drinks of whisky on the side from 
misguided admirers. What they want is work and a 
home. We aim to find both for them as speedily as 
possible. To the men who have had previous farm ex¬ 
perience or who think they want to farm, there are 
opportunities open and waiting. 
"In the first place we have eliminated land specula¬ 
tion by requesting all owners of farms wishing to sell 
to furmVdi us with a description of their properties, to¬ 
gether with the actual selling price. As soon as this in¬ 
formation is furnished we have the property inspected, 
and. if approved as a safe investment, it is placed on 
our official list. Me are then ready to meet the returned 
soldier who wishes to farm with a definitely guaranteed 
list of farm properties. If he was a farm owner or farm 
laborer previous to the war. he is entitled to a loan from 
the_ Government on the purchase price of a .farm up to 
$4,500. and $1,500 toward his initial expense for live 
stock and equipment, provided he can produce 10 per 
cent of the investment in cash. Government bonds, war 
allotments. or in some form of personal assets. This 
loan is.made without interest for two years, after which 
the rate is five per cent a year. If necessary, addi¬ 
tional loans may be made, depending upon the individual 
merits of each case. Thus Canada has aimed to pro¬ 
vide any returned soldier with previous farm experi¬ 
ence with an opportunity to own a farm of his own. 
"In regard ro men without previous farm experience, 
another plan is followed. M'e prepared a list of reliable 
farmers willing to employ returned soldiers as farm 
laborers, and where possible we place men without pre¬ 
vious experience with them. A few months’ experiem e 
enables the would-be farmer to decide whether or m t 
he wishes to continue in the business. At the end of his 
term of service he is either ready to turn to some other 
line of work or is qualified to become a farm owner him¬ 
self. Before he actually purchases a farm he is gener¬ 
ally given practical instruction under a trained exten¬ 
sion worker to supideinent his farm experience. 
"M'e are also utilizing our abandoned aviation camps 
as farm instruction camps. Upwards of 1.000 men cau 
be accommodated at one of these camps, and their equip¬ 
ment is easily adaptetd to this sort of work. The sleep¬ 
ing quarters, mess halls, etc., are all ready for use. The 
hangars make excellent buildiugs for housing live stock. 
In the repair shops hog-houses, poultry-houses, and all 
kinds of appliances cau be made. The grounds can soon 
be plowed up and put in crops. Here, even before he 
has the opportunity of going to work for a farmer, the 
returned soldier learns whether or not he is suited to 
farm work, and if such work is not to his taste he finds 
it out before too much time is wasted in his training or 
education in something for which he is not fitted. In 
short, we in Canada intend that every returned soldier 
who wants a farm shall have a fair opportunity to own 
a farm, provided he proves himself fitted for the work.” 
B. B. 
