Tire fOLLC <1 NG ARTICLE, TAKF.N PROM
TTJE WASFIEGTO*7 FARMER, IS OFFERED
FOR THE .CONSIDER/TION OF THE PRO
DUCERS /. rT CONSUMERS OF THIS PART
OF i I. A Si-/ . WE PRESENT THIS AS THE
D/IRYW/E'S SIDE OF THE CONTROVERSY,
DAIRYMEN SEEK BETTER PRICES FOR
MILK.
TKF.OtTGJ CUT the nation, with spe
cial emph' sis in the west, a vigor
ous rnov - nt is un^or way looking,
to raves’ n in ceiling prices on
milk the*- will insure increases
prices t pro uicers. The demand
Is base * n 0rcatly increased costs
of pro''’.iof icn, duo primarily to in
cronser' c sts of both lab£r and .
fees', in many areas the price to !
the pro-' -or is equivalent to 75
to 35 c~r*s per pound of butterfnt.
Tables of’ ficures have boon prepar
ed by pr 'ucer groups seeming to
show th‘ cost of production is 61
or higher per pound of fat.
IN THE Spokane milk shod one
group of -uirymen has sought .tA ...
compile figures to show -the av.er- .
age cost f production. A compre
hensive f rm was filled out by 30
producer.: listing 21 Items of cost,
includin the major ones of feed
and lab"'!. Those 30 her^s totaled
757 cows. Hay rs listed average
$21.60 por ton for the month of
December, with grain averaging $40
per ton. Labor was figured at 50
cents an ^our» . , .
The rot'Tns from this survey
showed a total buttcrfat productiop
for th<? month of 18,919 pounds. The
total not cost was •#22,358,81. The
average e st per pound ?f butt erf p.tj
was thus figured to be #1.181. The
average price now receiver for miII:
by the 30 dairymen was Oivon us 77
cents a r und butterfat^ mr.kin0 a
total rcc. ived of $14,567,63, or a
reported net loss- of $7791,18.
. The fibres were presented at a
dairymen’s meeting-to the local rep
resentat" -a of the office of price
administration who agree* to submit,
them, wi.u the signatures of the
majority of those attending the
meeting, + the regional office of
OP/, in an effort to obtain modifi
cation u. '.vrrd rf the milk .price
ceiling s as to enable distribu
tors t • pry $,he* producers higher
prices f r the raw product,
TPTFR'T- in nr'w a measure bef ore the
state* To, d-slnture designed to plc.c
in the hands of the state direet 'r
of agriculture the power to deter
mine •pric- s f^r milk applicable in.
the vari ns producing and process
ing areas of the strte. This bill,
if adopted, would require tho dir
£l±nr t . fl* TT'lnltrmm m-1 wh^h
the distributors would pay the pro
ducers, such prices to cover cost
of production -’’plus t reasonable
profit, including n fair return for
labor to the producer.11
L semi-official statement from
one United States department of
agriculture wnr board says in part!
OPA has announced nation-wide em
ergency ceilings over the prices
distributors and handlers may pay
'form rs for fluid milk. This is to
prevent further ri so in the cost to
the public. Regulations of this
order v/ill b-_ issued s on. They will
stipulate that from the effective
date of the order until .-.pril 9 no
fluid milk distributor may pay more
to a priducer than the highest
price paid in January, 1943. A per
manent policy on milk prices will
be issued within th next 60 days.”
If the policy is to be a maximum
price to producers no greater than
the hi0hest price paid ih-ifeonUDry
of this year, thousands or '’airymen
who are now continuing t produce
.in the. hope chat prices will be
.changed upward und ubtedly will be
induced to disperse tbeir herds and
g ' into war industry work or into
the production of some of the farm
crops or livestock on which better
returns are guaranteed.
VEGETABLE GROWERS DISCUSS PLANS.
About ci r'ozen Valley Farmers mot
In the Co-op, office Thursday even
ing to plan f"r the production of
vegetables f-'r the comint summer.
Various questions regarding kinds
and quantity of products was dis
cussed and while- no rigid rules
were adopted, it will be advised
that each grower lot the Co-op.
know how much of each product they
expect to grow this summer and es
timated amount. The assembled
growers know that no .one .rfhows how
much can be raise'3 fven if detailed
plans arc made and adhered to be
cause weather and other conditions
can hot be accurately forecast so
far ahead, but when a large group
give amounts they expect to contri
bute, some-idea can be gained, as
so:pe will have qjore than they ex
pect and others will not-have as
much.
I'.L. Snodgrass is■canvassing the
farms of the Valley and will be
glad to have y-ur-cocperrtion for
the prupose \f c ettinc this infor
mation. The prospects of filling
the Army Contract - looks ,_cod at the
present time. It can an'3 will be f
done with everyone wcrkint toward,
that en'3.