Tensions Boil Over at Milk Shippers' Meeting
While the Seattle Milk Shippers’ Association reports financial success, personal conflicts and competitive pressures nearly ignite a brawl among members.
The association report for the six months from December 1, 1923, to May 31, 1924, showed a net gain in assets of $12,829.01. W. H. White, representing the State Department of Agriculture, noted the strong showing to members. However, one of the principal issues was the question of cooperating with other dairy market organizations in Pierce and Snohomish counties. Like fruit marketing organizations, the dairy associations found themselves on the verge of competition that might prove detrimental. Because of the uncertain condition of the Seattle milk market, high feed prices and short pasture, the discussion covered a wide range and in several instances became personal, with one or two situations that might have resulted in blows narrowly averted.
“The discussion covered a wide range and in several instances became personal and one or two situations that might have resulted in blows were narrowly averted.”
The struggle for market control among dairy cooperatives reflects the intense economic pressures of the post-WWI era. Today, while the specific market dynamics have shifted, the tension between cooperative collective bargaining and individual competitive interests remains a staple of Washington's agricultural industry.
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