The same regulations apply to the Beaumert Co., and Beaumert Co. sent last year about 63,000,000 imperial gallons of cream to the New York market. That cream was of a high degree of quality, otherwise it would not come here under your present conditions. Speaking of the other sections which were visited by Mr. Osgood and Mr. Batchelder, those sections, so far as I am able to find out, ship milk to the Boston market. The Boston market regulations are equally as severe as the New York regulations. Mr. McDonough found at Huntingdon exceptionally good conditions; he found at Howick excellent conditions; Burton has excellent conditions. Huntingdon producers who ship to Montreal are under Montreal inspection. Factories at Franklin, Aubrey, and others which he visited have been under butter producing conditions, and they have to come under the regulations of the Province of Quebec regarding creameries, and have their creameries according to those regulations, and those regulations have just been adopted within the past year, and, therefore, perhaps some of the creameries have not been able to meet the regulations, but they must do it this spring. Going over into the Clarenceville country-which I know very well, which I visit frequently-Lacolle, Farnham, Knowlton, and those sections they found very excellent conditions. Then, going into the country of St. Cesaire and St. Dominique, those are practically new places in the dairy business. These men were all grain and hay farmers up to two or three years ago, when they conceived the idea that they must go into dairying in order to preserve the fertility of their land. Now, I have not been in those particular sections, but I know something of the St. Hyacinthe section, and I have no doubt that conditions are perhaps a little crude in this particular section, but they can not be crude very long under our Quebec regulations and under the conditions of shipping cream to Boston under the Boston regulations. I know that the Hood people have been purchasing milk in Stanstead and Missisquoi Counties for several years, and those farmers who supply milk and cream in those counties are well equipped, because they have been under the Boston regulations ever since they commenced shipping. Now, we do know this, that this regulation business is a matter largely of education, and it takes a farmer about two years to get equipped to comply with these regulations. I am speaking of the average farmer, and, therefore, these places which were visited no doubt will be made complete, so that they can live up to the Boston regulations almost during the coming summer. Now, I see time is going on. There are a good many things I would like to lay before you, but I will have to forego some of them. Speaking of the tuberculin testing of cattle, we have in the vicinity of Montreal, all through what we call the eastern townships, including the "T. B." free area district, embracing the counties of Huntingdon, Chatauguay, and Beauharnois, about 450 herds of pure-bred cattle-Holstein, Ayshire, Guernsey, and Jersey. Almost invariably every pure-bred herd is fully accredited. There may be a few that are still under Government supervision and will be fully accredited in the near future. Now, this shows you, I think, the conditions in our country are not just what they have been represented before the milk tariff; and that our farmers are willing to meet any reasonable condition which is imposed. And I am to the same opinion as Mr. Scott, and our farmers who know of this feel that it is an extra imposition, an extra regulation which will be required of them, and we feel that if you use the machinery which you have in operation in New York City and Boston, where the largest supply comes to from our country, that this bill is quite unnecessary. Now, we feel that we have just been discriminated against a little in this matter, but if we have to submit, why, our farmers are good sports and they will swallow it and endeavor to meet the conditions. But, as Mr. Scott said, the Canadian farmer, the Canadian producer, has not attempted to force his milk into your market. Our Canadian farmer is willing to sell his milk and cream and butter in the world's market, and that is what he is doing, but your milk distributors have come to our country and solicited our custom, knowing conditions as they were, and we are ready to supply their market. Now, we feel that a freer interchange of trade between countries is a mighty good thing, especially as to perishable products like this milk which is to be used for an article of food especially by children and invalids. Let me close by quoting from the Washington Post of yesterday two statements, one by your splendid Mr. Hoover, whom we think a great deal of in our country, who says: The broad purpose of Government in its relation to business should be to keep the door of opportunity and endeavor open to all on equal terms and to restrain those who would deny this. Your Governor Ritchie, of Maryland, declared: By the same token, Government should keep its hands off of business so long as business keeps its hands off of Government and engages in no practices which are unfair or stifling to others. We feel that if this bill is enacted it will be much more difficult. The Sheffield farms have their plants, and the Boston people have their plants, near the border, some of them over on our side; our farmers have prepared to supply these people with milk. It means changing their conditions if the bill goes through and if our milk and cream is shut out of your market. Mr. HOLMAN. Mr. Stephen, would you file into the record, if you have it, the number of plants in Canada that the Sheffield farms own or operate. Mr. STEPHEN. I haven't got that. Mr. HOLMAN. Could you supply it? Mr. STEPHEN. I think I can supply it. Mr. HOLMAN. Do you know approximately the number? Senator RANSDELL. If the gentleman is not through I think he might be permitted to go on. Mr. STEPHEN. I am practically through. There are a few little things. I wish to thank you, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. This hearing will be taken up next Thursday morning at 10.30 o'clock. (Whereupon, at 12 o'clock m., the hearing was adjourned to Thursday, May 20, 1926, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.) TO REGULATE THE IMPORTATION OF MILK AND CREAM THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1926 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10.30 o'clock a. m., in room 326, Senate Office Building, Senator George W. Norris presiding. Present: Senators Norris (chairman), Capper, and Ransdell. Also present: Senator Lenroot, of Wisconsin, and Representative Taber, of New York. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. Who is to be heard this morning? Mr. HOLMAN. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Bronson is here from New England. The CHAIRMAN. This meeting was postponed to this date in order to give the people from New England an opportunity to be heard. I do not know whether they are for this measure or against it. Mr. PARKER. Mr. Chairman, Cornelius A. Parker, representing the Boston and Suburban Milk Dealers' Association and the Cream Dealers' Association of New England. These associations, let me say, include as follows: The Boston and Suburban Milk Dealers' Association includes not only the very large shippers, the four or five large shippers, but practically, I think, all of the reputable dealers who do business in a small way, two or three or four carloads, or something of that kind; the Cream Dealers' Association of New England takes in practically all the big dealers in cream in the New England territory. Mr. Bronson I have just talked with-he is not one of our witnesses, but he is the statistician for the New England Milk Dealers Association, and provided it does not cut short the time for our witnesses I would be very glad to have Mr. Bronson go on first, if your committee so desires. The CHAIRMAN. It is immaterial to me, of course. I do not know what position any of these gentlemen take, and I want to give both sides a full opportunity within any reasonable limits. Mr. PARKER. Mr. Haskell, of the Turners Center Milk Dealers, is here and I am desirous, after making a very brief statement, to have Mr. Haskell go on, so that he can go back to-day. Mr. Bronson, do you desire to go back to-day? Mr. BRONSON. I would like to go back with Mr. Haskell. Mr. PARKER. Then I do not see that it makes much difference. STATEMENT OF WESLEY H. BRONSON, NEW ENGLAND MILK DEALERS' ASSOCIATION, BOSTON, MASS. Mr. HOLMAN. Mr. Bronson, would you mind stating the embership and the extent of it in your association? Mr. BRONSON. We have a membership of 20,000 dairy farmers in the several New England States. We represent those farmers in negotiating with the distributors for the sale of their product. I have made some study of the health requirements of various New England cities in regard to milk, particularly with reference to the question of requirements for tuberculin test. I find that the following cities have a requirement that all raw milk sold must be tuberculin tested, and if not tuberculin tested it can only be sold as Pasteurized milk: Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Fall River, Somerville, Pittsfield, and in New Hampshire, Concord, Manchester, and Nashua. The State of Rhode Island has just passed an act requiring that their grade A raw be from tuberculin-tested cows. There was introduced into the State of Massachusetts legislature in the last year a bill, House bill 1416, requiring that all raw milk sold in the State be from tuberculin-tested animals. That shows the trend which has taken place in health regulations in the States. The whole trend is toward requiring compulsory tuberculin testing on all raw milk. That State bill in Massachusetts was referred to the next legislature. So far as the question of this bill being one which requires product which comes in raw to be tuberculin tested, that is meeting the same requirements that are now required in the principal New England markets. The New England States and the Government are spending a large amount of money for tuberculosis eradication in cattle. Doctor Mohler, of the Department of Agriculture, informed me this morning that the appropriation for the current year for the New England States was $395,000, and that normally this appropriation is made on the basis of about $4 from the States for every $1 from the Government, which means that on that basis over $1,000,000 is being spent for the purpose of eradication of tuberculosis. So that areas are now being cleaned up in the various States and placed under what practically amounts to quarantine, that no animals can be brought in without being passed by the test. It is, therefore, fair, as it seems to us, that product which come in from Canada should meet the requirements of being from tuberculin-tested cows, and it would be of material assistance in keeping these areas in New England clean if the product can come in from clean animals. We find that products coming in from Canada and products in the New England States move to a large number of various markets. Nashua, N. H., for example, requires all products, both milk and cream, to come from tuberculin-tested cows, whether Pasteurized or not. And Nashua draws its products from a large number of shipping points. At times product comes into Boston and is shipped out to Nashua for sale there. And it has been our opinion in New England that this bill should meet the requirements of the highest market with reference to sanitary requirements for the sale of milk. Nashua is probably the high |