The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
111 
Do They Buy All the Milk? 
At a public meeting in the city of New York 
last November both the presidents of Borden's and 
Sheffield Farms companies plainly stated as one rea¬ 
son for the wide spread between producer and con¬ 
sumer that they took all the milk the farmers pro¬ 
duced, and suffered the loss when there is a sur¬ 
plus. Since then the Sheffield Farms Company 
has advertised to the same effect in the city papers. 
On December 24 we wrote the company as follows: 
We note in your advertisement in the New York 
Tribune of December 24 you say: 
“We have served the producer by making a ready 
year round market for all he produces.” 
We have the milk of three neighborhoods which the 
producers are anxious to sell, and have as yet found no 
market for it. The milk is pasteurized in the farmers’ 
creameries and is ready for delivery on short notice. 
They have asked us to find an outlet for it. Will you 
take it at current prices? 
To this we received the following reply: 
In reply to your letter of Dec. 24 in which you refer 
to our "ad.”, stating that you have three neighborhoods 
in which the producers are anxious to sell their milk, 
and have as yet found no market for it, will say, if you 
will note, I do not say in my "ad.” that we buy all the 
milk that is available to reach the city. When we get 
all the business in Greater New York and its suburbs 
we undoubtedly will have our doors open to take prac¬ 
tically all the milk that is offered to us for sale, but at 
the present time we are not able to comply with your 
request. Sheffield farms company, inc., 
Loton Horton, President. 
It is hardly worth while to try to figure out the 
fine distinctions between the language of the adver¬ 
tisement and the letter. It has been stated over 
ar.d over again during the past year that the dealers 
took all the milk, as an excuse for the high price to 
the consumer and less than cost of production to the 
farmer. It has never been entirely true except in 
times of unusual shortage, but if it is the contract 
some one ought to see that the dealers live up to it. 
It is manifestly unfair that in some sections pro¬ 
ducers have no outlet for milk while others have reg¬ 
ular customers. The unfavored may be in a min¬ 
ority, but in simple justice they ought to be treated 
like the others. Anyway, the dealers’ boast that they 
are making a ready year-round market for all pro¬ 
ducers is not justified by the experience of these 
producers. 
The Politicians and “Keynote Speeches” 
It has been announced that the Republican party 
in New York State has selected Hon. Elihu Root to 
deliver the “keynote speech” which is to outline the 
party’s programme. It will be hard to think of any 
more depressing news than this—to a very large 
proportion of the party voters in New York. As a 
lawyer and political exponent Mr. Root is no doubt 
one of the ablest and brainiest men in the country. 
He is, however, absolutely out of all touch or sym¬ 
pathy with modern political progress or progressive 
ideas, and has opposed practically every one of the 
reforms which farmers have demanded. The Repub¬ 
lican party in New York is essentially a party of 
farmers and country .people. In the last election 
Governor Whitman polled a total of 995,094 votes. 
Of these only 284,701 came from the greater city of 
New York. The balance, 710,353, or nearly 80 per 
cent, came from “up-State.” The politicians who 
control the party are evidently planning to repeat 
their old-time performance of working in old, shop¬ 
worn issues when the real voters demand a new deal. 
We have talked with a number of Republican 
politicians about this, and they boldly state that 
their party is to have a “walk-over” this year— 
therefore they will go back to the “old conservative” 
ideas. Mr. Root is certainly “conservative.” It 
might be well for these gentlemen to consider history 
a little. Some years ago a new constitution was 
devised by a convention directed by Mr. Root. It 
would have made agriculture just about as useful 
as a picture of George Washington hanging over the 
fireplace. The farmers rose againt it and defeated 
it by an immense majority. In 1912 the party 
leaders concluded that they had another “walk-over.” 
They disregarded the progressive element and ran 
a steam roller over them, with Mr. Root sifting on 
the roller. As a result, instead of having a “walk¬ 
over,” they were walked over and carried only three 
small States. In 1910 they had another “walk-over” 
in sight, and simply threw it away by ignoring the 
clearly expressed demands of the Western farmers. 
Now Mr. Root and other leaders like him may 
think that the farmers have given up their progres¬ 
sive ideas and abandoned their demands for new 
issues and a fair chance. If they pitch their key¬ 
note in any such scale they will simply be locked 
out, for such a key will never fit the lock. We think 
the time has come for plain speaking. No political 
party in this country can have any “walk-over” this 
year through old-time issues and old-time leadership. 
The Republican party has the greatest opportunity 
it has ever had since the Civil War, but it will fail 
as surely as death comes to us all unless it can shake 
off the barnacles and blind men and represent its 
voters rather than its vultures. Farmers are organ¬ 
ized as never before—far better than they were four 
years ago. Every other business in the world except 
politics has been forced to adopt new ideas and new 
methods. The politicians simply cannot run this 
year’s campaign as they have worked in the past— 
“and get away with it.” If they try it they will find 
that the spirit of that recent campaign in Wayne 
County will be like an inoculation—which will 
spread all through the State. 
Federal Land Bank 
H ARDLY a day passes without a letter from some 
farmer in the Eastern States who wants to 
know where the Federal Land Bank is located. The 
bank for New England. New York and New Jersey 
is at Springfield. Mass. It seems strange to us that 
so little* effort has been made to let farmers know 
this bank is doing business. There ought to be a 
strong educational campaign started, for compara¬ 
tively few have any idea about what these banks 
will do. Many seem to think they have only to pre¬ 
sent themselves at the bank, state their case and 
carry the money home with them. The fact is there 
is more red tape and delay and sometimes more ex¬ 
pense in obtaining a Federal loan than in borrowing 
from an ordinary bank or money lender. The pres¬ 
ent law should be changed and simplified. As it is, 
no hired man or tenant can obtain an adequate farm 
on a Federal loan unless he has considerable capital 
or can induce someone to take a second mortgage on 
the property. And right there is where farm owners 
might help locate good men on their farms. Let the 
tenant or hired man borrow what he can from the 
Government and pay it to the owner. Then let the 
latter accept a second mortgage for the balance. 
That would give the tenant or hired man a chance, 
and if he is a man of character he will pay out. 
Some land-owners can well afford to do this, and 
when they can it would, help even more than the 
bank to put good men on the farm as owners. 
Western New York Farmers Combining 
A large gathering of farmers of Orleans County. N. Y., 
met at Albion Dec. 21. The first business was reports 
and the perfecting of the different organizations, includ¬ 
ing the swine, cannery crop producers and wool 
growers, some of which had run at loose ends. For 
instance, the latter learned that if a laborer was in¬ 
jured in loading their wool any one of the organizations 
could be singled out and forced to pay the cost, no mat¬ 
ter how large. To protect ourselves we have incorpor¬ 
ated with the limit for any one member not to exceed 
five dollars. Some time was taken in the discussion of 
raising cannery crops, the hard work, backaches, the 
risks which the farmer takes, with frosts at each end 
of the season, drought, insects, etc., for the few cents 
he gets of the 25 cents paid by the consumer, the canner 
and retailer taking but little risk, although they get SO 
cents of the dollar. A delegation of Niagara County 
growers was present. The Orleans County growers, and 
they incorporated, expecting other counties to join. 
They will choose delegates to meet the canners to make 
prices fair to all. Although no prices were set, the 
sentiment was unanimous in asking enough so the 
farmer could pay in proportion to what is being paid 
by other enterprises, so they could invite the experienced 
farm labor back to the farms from which they were 
induced to leave by the unreasonable prices paid by the 
Government. It was claimed that manufacturers of 
non-essentials were employing this help now at prices 
that we cannot compete with. Farmers are dissatisfied 
with the selling of surplus army supplies in competition 
with other products at a price far below the cost to 
well-paid city labor, thus ir juring the very men who 
later will have to make up the loss through taxation. 
CHARLES II. PORTER. 
The Farm Bureau Committeemen 
In the organization of Farm Bureaus in New Y*ork 
State the district or community committeemen play a 
very important part, much more important in fact than 
is commonly understood. The terms Farm Bureau com¬ 
mitteemen, community committeemen and district com¬ 
mitteemen are commonly used to designate these men. 
The precise part that these representative farmers take 
in promoting the work of the Farm Bureau is, in many 
sections, not well understood, sometimes even among 
the committeemen themselves. But this situation is not 
altogether unfortunate, since our comprehension of the 
whole scope of Farm Bureau work, and functions of the 
officers and committeemen, has been one of gradual de¬ 
velopment since the first Farm Bureau was organized. 
Nor have we yet reached the point where it can be said 
that afi of the functions, or legitimate lines of work of 
the Bureau and for the community committeemen, are 
exactly defined. New situations arising will make new 
demands on the Bureaus, and the committeemen will 
find ways and means for meeting these exigencies. 
As it is now understood the most workable and equit¬ 
able distribution of committeemen is to have one desig¬ 
nated or elected by his neighbors to represent each 
school district in the county. This plan has several 
advantages, chief of which is that it defines each com¬ 
mitteeman’s territory. This is particularly valuable in 
membership campaigns. 
It is a misconception of the functions of committee¬ 
men to believe that their most important work is to 
hustle around about once each year and drum his neigh¬ 
bors for their membership fee in the Farm Bureau 
Association. Five, at least, rather well-defined functions 
of the Farm Bureau committeemen are outstanding, but 
none of these is so arduous that any farmer, sincerely 
interested in helping to promote better farming condi¬ 
tions in his community, should find the work irksome. 
These functions are: 
1. Keeping so well-informed concerning the activi¬ 
ties and status of the Bureau work in the county that 
he may in turn advise the other farmers in his district. 
2. Advising the agents of all requests for demonstra¬ 
tions! work, meetings desired and other matters relating 
to his community that need attention. 
3. Being responsible for soliciting the financial aid 
from his neighbor in support of the Bureau. 
4. Determine the wishes and needs of the farmers in 
his district and convey this information to the agent or 
to the executive committee of the Bureau. 
5. Arrange details for meetings of farmers in his 
community and lead in the discussion of plans for com¬ 
munity work. In brief, the Farm Bureau committeemen 
have a wonderful opportunity to give unselfish service 
to their fellow farmers and at the same time be the 
gainers in the matter of experience and self-confidence. 
The farmers of New York State should be proud of their 
Farm Bureau organization. F. E. bobertson. 
The Farmers’ Union of Nebraska 
Three months ago, when sugar was almost impossible 
to get here, one of the members of our local Farmers’ 
Union suggested that the farmers ought to build a sugar 
factory of their own in the beet-growing region in the 
western part of the State. As a result of that sugges¬ 
tion the matter was brought up at the next meeting 
of our local. On motion, a committee was appointed 
to draw up resolutions favoring such a project. A little 
later these resolutions were endorsed by the County 
Union and published in the State Union paper and 
6ome of the farm papers. Now comes word through 
a press dispatch that members of the Union living near 
the center of the sugar beet growing region have got 
busy putting the sugar factory idea into effect. They 
raised $100,000 in stock subscriptions within a very 
few days. As something like a million dollars is needed 
to build, equip and operate such a plant, you will readily 
see that it is no small undertaking. However, the 
farmers of this State have furnished millions of dollars 
in good money to build packing houses, tire factories, 
etc., in the management of which they will have little 
or. no voice, it seems as if there should be no great 
trouble in financing this project, which they will run 
themselves. Should this project be put over, which 
it probably will be, I especially want you to read the 
next to last paragraph of the resolutions and note the 
probable per cent of the consumers’ dollar that the 
producer will get. Looks like it would be more than 
35c out of the dollar, doesn’t it? 
As possibly the reader is not familiar with Farmers’ 
Union business principles, will say that, briefly, the idea 
is simply this: None but members can hold stock, and 
that only in a limited amount. Seven or eight per 
cent is paid on stock as interest. Any surplus profits 
over and above operating expenses are prorated back 
to stockholders, according to amount of business done 
with company. In some of the newly organized com¬ 
panies wages of employees who are also stockholders 
are considered as business done with company, and 
patronage dividends paid them accordingly. 
Literally hundreds of the companies are already in 
successful operation, with less than two per cent of 
failures, so you see that the idea must be sound. These 
companies are engaged mostly in marketing grain, but 
there are many stores, creameries, etc., as well as sev¬ 
eral livestock commission houses, a wholesale house and 
a terminal grain-selling company lately organized. 
These companies are rapidly replacing the old-time 
straight stock companies all over the State. In fact, 
now when one comes into the field it often happens 
that there is a rush of their competitors to sell out to 
them rather than to stay and fight for business. 
Although, of course, conditions among Eastern far¬ 
mers are a little different than here, it does seem to 
the writer as if the Farmers’ Union idea could be used 
by them to a great advantage. You produce much that 
we consume, and, on the other hand, much that we 
produce you consume. Why not use our business 
organizations and exchange products as far as possible, 
thus saving the most of that 65c that the middleman 
has been getting? Think it over. j. h. tubbs. 
R. N.-Y.—That part of the resolution which Mr. 
Tubbs refers to reads as follows: 
"Resolved, That we favor the marketing of the 
product of said proposed Farmers’ Union sugar factory 
through the Farmers’ Union State Exchange and local 
Farmers’ Union stores, so far as may be found prac¬ 
ticable.” 
Ninety Cents of the Dollar in Mexico 
I live in Mexico, where we are expected to be half 
barbarians and a long way behind the times. We may 
be in some things, but we are not in getting 90 cents on 
the dollar of the milk we sell. 
There is no restriction on the sale of milk here, such 
as you talk about in New York City and other large 
American cities. The only rules and regulations are 
the sanitary ones and, complying with these, you can 
sell your milk anywhere. In the city and outskirts are 
many large stables and dairies where you can buy your 
milk in the same quart can as it is'milked from the 
cow. Around the city are innumerable large and small 
dairies where the cows are kept on the forage from 
the Alfalfa fields. Some of the dairies number hun¬ 
dreds of cows, others only three or four. All sell their 
milk when and where they please. The small dairy may 
sell at the stable to some dealer or he may have in 
the city a few private customers. In the fatter case 
he brings the cans on the back of a burro or a mule, or, 
if he has a little more milk, in a small cart. In all 
cases he gets the full value for his milk. 
The larger dairies and those that ship in from outside 
by train usually have, a small train or depot where 
they sell. As the milk is their own they can charge any 
price they see fit, and no dealer has absolutely anything 
to say to them. They usually rent a small room on 
some good street, put in concrete floor and sanitary 
fixtures required by law. 
At present the price is around 25 cents, this money, 
a quart. This is 12 cents American money. Feed is 
abundant and cheap just now. A little later it will be 
scarcer and the price will rise to 30 and 35 cents a 
quart. Last Winter it rose to 40 cents a quart for a 
short spell. What surprises me most are the restrictions 
that the authorities pretend to put on the sale in your 
cities. As peaceful as they are, I do not think the 
milkmen here would stand for these a moment. There 
would soon be trouble, either the restrictions removed, 
or no milk. L. E. B- 
Independeneia, Mexico. 
