The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
Report of Gov. Smith’s Milk Committee 
Former Governor Glynn and State Superintendent 
of Schools John II. Finley, who were recently 
appointed by Governor Smith as a committee to 
investigate the Department of Foods and Markets 
under the Morley act, and also to inquire into the 
causes of the high cost of living, with special refer¬ 
ence to milk, issued a preliminary report on the milk 
problem last week, and asked to he relieved of the 
task of investigating the Department of Farms and 
Markets, and suggest that other persons he assigned 
to this duty. Mr. George Gordon Battle has been 
appointed to investigate the department, and he has 
already begun work. 
The committee says: 
We find that the milk problem has been investigated 
and investigated and investigated. The Attorney- 
General of the United States, the New York County 
District Attorney, several State legislative committees, 
Mr. Hoover, the Federal Food Administrator, and a 
number of city committees have investigated it, and 
some of these agencies are still investigating it. More¬ 
over. the District Attorney of the County of New York 
has advised us that he will present on Monday, August 
25. to th(> Grand Jury evidence of alleged violation o' 
law in price-fixing rf milk. 
Despite all these investigations the price of mill: lias 
•• riidly risen since 1016. and from present indications 
it likely t > go still higher during the eomi: . WinC 
The committee believes that the increase is dr Ir. 
considerable part to the causes that have led to high 
food prices generally, including the foreign demand 
for milk products, but the fairly uniform price to 
consumers in cities generally suggests a tendency to 
force prices to the maximum. The report further 
says: 
< )n Friday, August 22, bottled milk sold in New York 
City for 16 cents a quart, in Chicago for 15 cents, in 
Boston for 15% cents and in Philadelphia for 14 cents 
—this despite the fact that the average amounts per 
quart or per hundred paid the farmers who supply the 
Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston markets are, accord¬ 
ing to reports furnished us by the State Department of 
Farms and Markets, somewhat higher than those paid 
the farmers supplying the New York City market. 
What this slight difference in the price of each quart 
of milk means to the people of New York City may be 
estimated from the. fact that, in round numbers. 2,000.000 
quarts of milk are daily consumed in New York City. 
Of this, 44 per cent is bottled, that is, approximately 
SSO.OOO quarts of bottled milk are sold iu New York 
City daily. This difference between the selling price of 
bottled milk in Philadelphia, which is 14 cents a quart, 
and that in New York City, which is 16 cents a quart, 
means that the people of New York . in a year, would 
pay $6,-i%'f,000 more than the people of Philadelphia 
for the same amount of bottled milk; and $3,212,000 
a year more than the people of Chicagoand $1,106,000 
more, than the people of Boston. 
Undoubtedly, it costs more to do business and to dis¬ 
tribute milk in New York City than it does iu Boston, 
Philadelphia or Chicago, hut a milk system that costs 
the people of the City of New Y'ork comparatively 
$6,000,000 a year more than it costs the people of Phil¬ 
adelphia and $.‘5,000,000 more than it costs the people of 
Chicago, and $1,000,000 more than it costs the people 
of Boston, needs either explanation or reformation. 
In urging that attention he given primarily to the 
system and cost of distribution, the report says: 
So far as we are able to determine, the farmer, the 
producer, is not receiving an exorbitant price for his 
milk ; indeed, he seems not to have his fair share of the 
selling price, for the cost of bottled milk to the con¬ 
sumer is approximately 100 per cent beyond what the 
farmer receives. 
The committee recommends that the Governor urge 
the Attorney General of the United States to prose¬ 
cute all violations of the interstate commerce act. 
in the States contributing to the New York milk 
supply, and also that he require all county district 
attorneys to prosecute violations of existing laws 
within their respective districts, but it places special 
emphasis for the present on a suggestion that the 
Governor appoint a fair price committee of nine to 
establish fair prices between the dealer and consumer 
in the city of New York. This committee would con¬ 
sist of the State Commissioner of Health, the city 
Commissioner of Health, and the city Commissioner 
of Markets, three members to he named by the Gov¬ 
ernor, and three by the Mayor of the city. The idea 
is that this committee should fix a price to the con¬ 
sumer after the plan adopted by the Federal food 
authorities during the war, and recently revived for 
other food products. The Governor should also 
provide for similar committees in other cities of the 
State on request of such cities. 
If this plan fails the committee recommends a 
tentative legislative plan, which would make it pos¬ 
sible for the State or the municipalities to regulate 
the distribution and sale of milk: 
1. That there be created a State Milk Commission to 
regulate the milk distribution business iu cities of the 
first and second class. 
2. That all milk distributors in cities of the first and 
second class he required to secure a license from the 
proposed commission, and such commission be authorized 
to refuse a license to any distributor who cannot estab¬ 
lish proof that the business lie proposed to conduct is of 
public interest. 
15. That the proposed commission he given full power 
to regulate the rates which shall be charged on milk for 
the service rendered by the distributing agencies, and 
to limit the profits of such agencies to what it may deem 
■» be a fair and reasonable return on the inve«r>m.»+ 
4. That the proposed commission be given full author¬ 
ity to require the installation of uniform cost account¬ 
ing systems by all distributing agencies in first and 
second class cities, and to inspect and audit such ac¬ 
counts at any time. 
5. That the commission aid and assist all munici¬ 
palities desiring to establish municipally owned distri¬ 
bution of milk, and act as an advisory board and be in 
position to recommend the mosc effective method to be 
used in establishing municipal distribution of milk, in¬ 
cluding the acquisition of privately owned distributing 
systems. 
<>. That all municipalities of the State be authorized 
to acquire and opefate milk distributing systems within 
their boundaries when such acquisition and operation 
are approved by the commission. 
7. That the proposed commission promote co-operation 
between the producing and distributing elements of the 
milk industry; that it make from time to time investi¬ 
gation of the cost of producing milk, and publish for 
the information of the public data as to volume and 
cost of production in this State; that it conduct edu¬ 
cational campaigns for promoting the wider use of 
milk as a food and co-operate with municipal health 
departments and other agencies in making special studies 
of the need of the greater use of milk in the feeding 
of children. 
8. That the commission make special study of the 
problem of providing milk at a minimum cost to the 
children of the poorer sections of the larger cities, and 
co-operate with the municipal departments of health in 
providing milk for the feeding of infants at the lowest 
possible cost. 
9. That the commission co-operate with the New York 
Gity Department of Health to make a special study of 
tlie conditions under which loose milk is sold in the 
city, and endeavor to eliminate all possible danger of 
contamination of milk sold in this mannei\ 
10. That the proposed commission be empowered to 
revoke a dealer’s license for due cause after public hear¬ 
ing and after due notice in writing. 
11. That any municipality in addition to cities of the 
first and second class may by formal action of the gov¬ 
erning body of the municipality place itself under the 
jurisdiction of this commission. 
The New York milk problem is also being investi¬ 
gated by the Federal Department of Justice, hy the 
Federal Trade Commission, and by a special grand 
jury in' the city of New -York. In the meantime, 
Federal Food Commissioner Williams has given out. 
the information that the dealers have reconsidered 
their announced purpose to again increase prices 
to the consumer for September, and that no advance 
will he made. 
Comment on the Milk Report 
The temporary report by ex-Governor Glynn and 
Dr. Finley is a scathing arraignment of milk trust 
methods. The milk dealers are indicted on two 
counts: First, for collecting several million dollars 
annually in excess of fair profits for milk distribu¬ 
tion in New York City, and second, for lack of 
humane consideration in putting the price of milk 
beyond the reach of many people in the city, and 
causing suffering among children and increased 
mortality of infants in the city. The committee 
emphasizes three points that we have many times 
repeated: 
1. It is the duty of the State to see that farm food 
products are efficiently and economically distributed 
and sold. 
2. Milk in the city of New York is distributed 
under a wasteful and extravagant system, and the 
distribution costs several millions of dollars an¬ 
nually more than it should, and reduces the demand 
for milk. 
•'!. The farmer does not get a fair share of the 
selling price to the consumer. 
This indictment cannot be dismissed as the theories 
of the inexperienced, or as a radical appeal to the 
throng. It is the sober hut vigorous judgment of 
two of the most conservative and able men of the 
state. It is the first indication from administration 
circles that the speculators and purveyors of foods 
cannot capitalize for their perpetual profit the ad¬ 
vantages they gained during the confusion of war 
conditions. It is, to be sure, only a recommendation, 
but it comes with a logic and force that cannot well 
be ignored. 
This is a temporary report, and the remedy pro¬ 
posed is a temporary one. The milk trust lias always 
succeeded through organization and political in¬ 
trigue in removing from their path those whom it 
could not control, but it has finally provoked a gen¬ 
eral storm of protest that has alarmed the admin¬ 
istration authorities of State and nation. 
The remedies proposed are all for temporary re¬ 
lief. They are: Fair price committees; investiga¬ 
tions; indictments; trials of offenders, and punish¬ 
ments for them. We have had all these before, and 
they have never done more than force a temporary 
concession. They promise no permanent solution of 
the problem. The suggestion for a fair price com¬ 
mittee comes admittedly as a temporay, post-war 
measure from two of the ablest men in the State, 
and they are evidently none too confident of its 
efficiency even as a temporary measure, for they 
suggest a “regrettable alternative” in the event of 
its failure. The alternative is more promising: it 
recommends a law to make it possible for the State 
or cities to regulate the distribution and sale of milk. 
Of course, a special law could facilitate this purpose. 
1309 
but if the officials and the State administration were 
so disposed, they couhl find sufficient authority to do 
the same thing now under existing laws. The market 
department was organized for this purpose under the 
unanimous inspiration of the farm organizations of 
the State, but under the confusion of war conditions 
and political intrigue and affiliations, the department 
was turned over to a joint partnership of food specu¬ 
lators and cold storage interests, which now control it. 
No blame can be attached to the men in the positions. 
The system put them there, and if they did any¬ 
thing to displease the profiteers they could not stay. 
It is the system, not these biddable officials, who 
should be indicted and removed. Of course a com¬ 
mittee could not well use this plain blunt language 
in a report to the Governor of the State, but iu a 
more diplomatic way they have said the most of it. 
If the recommendations were carried out in good 
faith they would go far towards solving the problem 
for the consumer at least, but for that matter so 
would a conscientious administration of the present 
law. 
Our experience has carried us far enough to know 
that co-operation with the milk trust can never mean 
anything but disappointment and loss to milk pro¬ 
ducers. Even if the recommendations are put in 
successful use, distribution is a part of economic 
production, and producers will need to go back to 
their original plan, wholesale milk in the city, to 
the end that independent dealers may be protected 
in their supply of milk, the cost of distribution re¬ 
duced to increase the outlet, and production en¬ 
couraged hy a price based on the cost of production. 
Interstate Fair at Trenton, N. J. 
The Interstate Fair at Trenton. N. J., has coine to 
be one of the cleanest and best exhibitions held in 
the Eastern States. Trenton is well located for such 
an exhibition. It is probable that there are more 
people within 75 miles of Trenton than can be found 
in any other space of equal size on the face of the 
earth. A good share of these people are farmers and 
fruit growers, and they are obliged to practise ex¬ 
pert farming in order to hold their own on high- 
priced land. Their work is reflected in the exhibition 
made at this fair, and the managers of the fair 
have spent much time and thought in developing a 
clean, well-rounded exhibition. This year there will 
be one of the best fairs ever held in the East, and 
those who like to see a high-class exhibition of high- 
grade agricultural products will do well to keep this 
show in mind. The live stock exhibits will he par¬ 
ticularly good, and special days are set aside for 
judging the various breeds. Thus the Jerseys will be 
judged on Tuesday, September 30; Guernseys on 
Wednesday, October 1, and the Holsteins and Ayr- 
shires on Thursday, October 2. It will be a good 
show and well worthy of a visit 
The Wool Situation 
The attempt to break up the pooling of wool for sales, 
whether successful or not, is the best thing that could 
happen to the growers. Wool selling has been the most 
irregular endeavor ever attempted hy man. Iu some 
sections, where little was grown, the junkman got it 
for nearly nothing, and even where good clips were for 
sale by the fourth or fifth generation of growers, the 
price paid them has been mean since Civil War times. 
In a land of intelligence this must change some time, 
and it has begun. Co-operation, price-fixing and com¬ 
bining are allowable for everything except the products 
of the land, but hands are held up in horror if the pro¬ 
ducer makes a step to get the worth of his labor and 
invetment. He is wicked, and all the interests that 
have exploited him conspire to make him stay in his 
place, and keep still. 
In our ease, they want the wool of the pet lamb, the 
fleeces that New York girl clipped, and all from the 
farms and plains of the whole country, at their price, 
always a mean one, and at present at about one-fourth 
of its real worth compared with the selling price of 
things manufactured from it. If anyone doubts this 
statement, he can satisfy himself by weighing any article 
of woolen apparel. He can even allow that it is all 
viry' t wool, while it may be nearly all cotton worth 
35 cents a pound, or shoddy worth 15 cents. 
At present I am "slumming” at a moral and re¬ 
ligious Summer resort to rest a lot of old tired muscles, 
after helping the boy and hand to make 90 acres of 
stubble. The hotel is $3.50, cantaloupes are cut in 
eighths, and the wedge of pie measures 1% inches at 
the widest place. Fortunes are being made between 
the producer and consumer, and many cannot help them¬ 
selves. but I want to serve notice on every sheep man 
that he can take matters into his own hands. By or¬ 
ganized intelligence and effort, and by loyalty to each 
other, now that wool is so scarce and so many need 
clothing, and this condition must continue for years, 
they can lift wool growing to par with other pro¬ 
ductions. w. W. REYNOLDS. 
