New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union

WANT PROBE IN EVERY STATE

Chairman McChord Asked to Hold Several Milk Investigations

BOSTON, Feb. 18.—At the resumption today of the investigation of New England milk rates by the interstate commerce commission, H. K. Smith, representing the Dairymen's association of Connecticut, asked Chairman C. C. McChord to conduct hearings in each of the six states. He based this contention on the fact that the farmers suffered from lack of organization and that the commission could obtain information only by going into the proper districts. Chairman McChord took the matter under advisement.

Henry L. Hall, milk agent of the Boston and Maine railroad, was examined by Attorney General Attwill of Massachusetts regarding the attitude of his company toward the so-called Saunders act, passed by the Massachusetts legislature last year and which prohibits the leasing of milk cars to wholesale dealers. Mr. Hall said that under the act the Boston and Maine, which brings more than half the milk into Boston, had been obliged to operate more cars. He denied that there was any hostility by his company toward the act.

Mr. Hall stated that every can of milk shipped from a point outside of Massachusetts into Boston would have to come either by baggage or under a six-hundred can rate. He admitted that health regulations prevented shipments by baggage in the summer without icing. It also developed that shipments from Bethlehem, N. H., for instance, under the 600-can rate, which provides icing, would cost $39 while under the leased car system it would be possible to ship 1,050 cans for $49.32 from the same point.

Charges of discrimination by the Boston and Maine railroad in favor of the big milk dealers against the smaller independent dealers were made by William A. Graustein of this city at the afternoon session. He asserted that rates had been charged in some cases in excess of the published tariff.

The witness asserted that milk cars had been made out of worn-out rolling stock and mentioned one car furnished to a local dealer as having been first a baggage car, then a tool car because it was unfit, and when apparently not good enough for the latter use, converted into a milk carrier. This car, he said, required six tons of ice to cool the milk, while cars supplied the big dealers required only 2½ tons.

Numerous delays marked the milk car service of the road to small dealers, the witness stated.

Asked if he regarded sour milk as suitable for sale in the Boston market, Mr. Graustein replied: "I don't know. I have heard so many stories about pasteurization that I don't know."

Examination of Mr. Hall, the Boston and Maine milk agent, developed that only three of the road's 88 regular milk cars are capable of carrying 1,050 cans of 8 and a half quarts each iced, which is the basis of the published carload rate. The shippers, he said, had to pay at the 1,050 rate, whether the car contained that number of cans or not.

The hearing will be resumed before Examiner George N. Brown tomorrow, Chairman McChord having left for Washington tonight.