ANTITRUST SUIT BY A-CCOP
In Burlington, It., charging illegal prac
tices in violation of the Sherman Anti
Trust Act and the Vermont public Ians, the
Vermont Cooperative Creameries, Inc., of
Bradford, has brought si’it against H. P.
Hood & Sons, Inc., of Boston.
The plaintiff alleged that the defendant
Comoany has attempted to monopolize the
. business of buying and selling milk in an
unlawful combination through practices
which the Sherman Anti-Trust Act makes
illegal.
The complaint alleged that the Hood Co.
since Oct. 16, 1946 has offered special
and discriminatory premiums, payments and
gratuities to milk proiucors in -Che terri
tory of Northern Vermont and part of New
Hampshire in an effort to induce them to
sell their nroducts to the defendant. They
also claim ho pueJic announcement was made
of this practice end the defendant limited
these special offers to the area in which
it was in competition with the plaintiff
for the purchase of milk. They alleged
that this practice caused the members of
the plaintiff'r cconerative to sever their
connection with the plaintiff and to sell
their products exclusively to Hood & Sons.
In some jurisdictions it is provided by
statutes that it is "holly unlawful ir
respective of inducement, _or third per
sons to deal with members who may he de
sirous of breaching rhoii contracts. Such
a statuaiory ^revision end the penalty im
posed to enforce it nave been held consti
tutional by -fie Supreme Court of the U.S.
in the Jae- cl liberty "’arehouse Co. Ver
sus Burley Tcoucco Growers Co-op I'arket
ing Aosoi iniion.
POTATOES AND VEGETABLES
3y Karl Hobson, Ass’t Prof of Ac. Econ.
A larger acreage of potatoes can be expec
ted in 1940 if farmers respond in the us
ual r.en.ier to the favorable prices re
ceived for the 1947 crop. Unless yields
shcuj <i be lor, production roula be larger
and prices lover. •'
The total ootato crop for 1947 is estim
ated at 376 million bushels. .In-tbe •■ast
ern a^d Central states rhere production
ras belo- a”erage. prices have boen favor
able, In the Eastern states production
fas above average and the prices rere lor
enough to require government support.
The nations potato acreage goal for 1948
has been set at 2,352,400 acres. This is
five and one-half percent larger than the<
acreage planted in 1947, There may also
be more individual plantings outside of
goal allotments because of the tendency
°f farmers to expand potato acreage fol-'
loring a year of favorable prices. This,
unless yields are lor, rould result in
lorer prices.
Truck crop prices in 1948 probably rill
average near !:hose of 1947, Any marked
decline in consumer incomes ucuid cause a
loner level of vegetable prices.
Hie onion crop nas 30$ smaller and resulted
in higher prices, Cabbugo production nas
37$ loner. If history repeats itself in
1348 caobage production rill be sharply
higher and prices lorer tnnn in 1947. Carrotf
and celery crops rare also smaller. The
lettuce crop nas large.
If the present high rate of-consumption of
canned vegetables continues, the carry-over
next summer should not be large. Commercial
processors may ferl moro crnfident of the
need iov a la-”ge pack norfc spring than they
did in the spring of 1947,
A NS INVESTIGATED
Because of recently published criticism
a group of people from D'uneau and Sitka
formed a voluntary commitzne and Investi
gatea Alice Island Sanatorium, They irere
inviued by Kr, l»or i’esfeer, superintendent
of the Alaska Tative Seivice,
The ccraaittee followed its om plans for
the inspection, pith staff members acting
as guides and arranging for their transpor
tation, The ccnniitxee inspected all acti
vities connected pith the storing, preserv
ing, preparation and serving of the food.
They teamed jba'; all mrais vrere prepared
in a centra.1 kitchen and ; ran spotted in
steam tables placed in electrically heated
trucks to the Orthopedic Hospital and to
Alice Island SanaTcrium: that including the
students at Mjju Jlgeeumbe Industrial School
and personnel shout ^20 persons pere served
each nasi- The. c .st the run fool per
martl per person :u: 25i, ir..reused fco 30<f
to include kitchen porscrnel „ They in
spected the baice-y; nhe Mechanical Con, the
food lookers; tho freezing units; the meth
ods of preservation, preparation, serving,
dish rashing and refuge disposal. Clean
liness and order ’./ere displayed everyuhere.
The committee had their lunch in a huge
cafeteria along pith 590 students. They
stood in lane along rith the rest araiting
their turn to receive their food. The meal
pas appetizing and balanced.
They recommeded that a separate Diet Kitchen
be installed for patients, rhen funds are
available, as their delicate appetites re
quire the stimulus of food more carefully
prepared and more appetizingly served;
That a Dietician inspect all flour before
using, that if found unusable, that it be
destroyed; and that the ANS employ a skill©
ea butcher as soon as possible, and that
any neu shipment of reindeer meat be of
ficially inspected and stamped by a govern
ment meat inspector.
The committee ras especially impressed by
the sincerity and devotion to pork of all
the officials and personnel of Mt. Edgecumbe.
Many have perked long hours.