Washington Dairymen Declare War on a Seattle Butter Dealer

In particular, [the institute] sent out into all of the dairy districts that enthusiastic and indefatigable institute worker, Prof. Dillman, to instruct our people in the fundamental principles of dairying under the new methods. Many of us well remember the professor's earnest talks on breeding, feeding and caring for the dairy cow; the crops to grow and the best methods of cultivation; the care of milk from the cow to the separation of the same; cream refining; bacteria, good and bad, and their development; butter making, cheese making and curing, and so on. Thus our progressive dairymen came to realize the importance of a more perfect understanding of the controlling principles underlying their work, which was followed by a gradual improvement in the quality of our dairy products.

Soon, however, a few of our commission houses established creameries in the cities and distributed the hand separator among the dairymen throughout the state, who shipped and continue to ship their cream to the city creameries, thus transferring an enterprise that legitimately belongs to the country to the cities. The motives underlying this change we will not here attempt to pass judgment upon. But we feel that we can truthfully assert that questions affecting the improved quality of our dairy products did not figure in their calculations at all. If they did, then certainly these gentlemen have made a miserable failure of their enterprise.

The original plan of delivering to the creamery milk fresh from the cow, twice daily, has been changed to that of delivering the cream two and three times weekly, with a corresponding change for the worse in the quality of our butter. Questions that relate to the cheapness of manufacture are evidently overshadowing those questions that more directly concern the quality of the product. This we hold to be a wrong principle and a dangerous practice. Our industry in this state can never reach its possible development under such conditions.

Did you, dairymen who are supplying cream to the creameries, hear that butter dropped two cents per pound last week? Your check for this month's cream will show it. An advance of two cents per pound I am sure would have been far more acceptable, as well as far more natural, considering the season of the year and the demand. Have you forgotten that the same thing occurred one year ago at about this time? Do you know of any reason for such an occurrence two years in succession? Do you not believe that the incident is entirely unnatural and unwarranted? If unnatural, then it must be artificial and brought about by the work of some man or set of men.

We are informed that one of the heaviest dealers in butter in Seattle practices buying up large quantities of eastern butter during the summer months, when butter is lowest in price, ships the same into our state where it is put in cold storage, and is used in breaking down the market at this time of the year, when every pound of butter fat costs the dairyman who produces it from two cents to five cents more than at any other time of the year. We are also told that much of this butter is being sold as fresh eastern butter, while much of it is sold and labeled as fresh creamery butter. Yet this same concern has the audacity to solicit cream from among the dairymen of the state. Here we have a case that requires investigation and a remedy. Our interests demand it. The interests of the consumers of butter demand it. The dairymen of the state are being victimized by reason of the greedy and deceitful practices of a dealer in their products, and the public is being deceived into paying for and consuming that which is not what it is represented to be.

We as dairymen demand from all those dealing in our products their influence and honest efforts in maintaining living and legitimate prices for our products, that shall not be influenced to our great damage by imported goods. We do not object to any legitimate competition. We condemn, however, the practice above alluded to, and greatly regret to know that a concern that has grown fat under our steady patronage should be the one to introduce the practice. ... One of the most effective weapons within our reach at present will be publicity. ... carry the news of such treachery through the press of the state, to every consumer of dairy products.