For thousands of Canada’s children .. .
| .. . but plenty of cream for the monopolies

Sbse living standard of
Canadian workers will
be seriously threatened by
the further rise in the price
of milk beginning Septem-
ber 30. The following facts,
taken from reports issued
by the, Dominion government
reveal the importance of
milk and other dairy pro-
ducts in food standards.

In a survey of family income
and expenditures in Canada, the
Dominion Bureau of Statistics
found that the average weekly
outlay for dairy products com-
prised more than one-fourth of
all food purchase, the highest
cost shown for any single group
(other groups being meat, eggs,
cereals, fruits, vegetables, etc.)
According to the survey, “dairy
products were an exceedingly
rich source of calcium, supply-
ing over 70 percent of the total
quantity purchased.” Almost
nine-tenths of this amount was

Rising prices on every
basic commodity the

obtained from milk, and most

of the remainder from cheese.

In estimating food purchases
in relation to the “Canadian
Dietary Standard,” the
found that “the most pronounced
deficiency in food values was in
the calcium available to survey
Qnly among families

survey

families.”
of relatively high income levels
was the supply of calcium—which
is the chief food content of milk
—found to be adequate. Hor the
average family the calcium con-
tent of the foods purchased
was 87 percent of the “Canadian
Dietary standard.”

Applying the Dietary Stand-
ard of milk consumption re-
quirements to the age and sex
distribution of the average fam-
ilies it was found that 0.35
grams of calcium per man va-
lue should be supplied from this

. source daily. The amount shown

as being provided was consider-
ably lower, averaging 0.24 grams
per man value, or about 70
percent of the standard (for
light manual labor’).

people require has re-
duced the purchasing
power of the working
man’s dollar by 40 per-
cent. The boost in milk
prices will accentuate
the process. The ‘assur-
ance’ by 8.C. Milk
Controller Carr that
the extra 2 or 3c in-
cease will go to the
farmer rather than to
the big dairy monopo-
lies is sheer bunkum.
It is like saying that
the increased price of
lumber in a black mar-
ket economy benefits
the home builder.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 10

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Serious deficiencies

HE serlous deficiency in milk

purchases occurred in families
with an average income in 1938
of $1,500 a year. Workers get-
less than $1,500 a year
purchased even less than the
average shown for $1,500, a con-
elusion based on a study of the
consumption of milk as related
to family income, of 3,207 rural
and urban families in the proy-
inces of Quebec, Ontario and
Alberta in 1935.

Today an income of $1,850 a
year is required to provide for
the same amount of milk by a
family with an income of $1,500
in 1938. ‘Today, however, ap-
proximately 85 percent of per-

sons in non-agricultural popu-
lations receive less than» $1,850
a year (see National Accounts,

Income and Expenditure, 1938-

1945, D.BS.).

The milk subsidy

E importance of milk in the

family diet was officially re-
cognized during the war when
the Dominion government in-
troduced the consumer subsidy
of two cents a quart. Here are
the reasons offered in the “Re-
port of the Wartime Prices and
Trade Board” to parliament in
1943.

“Milk, oranges, tea and coffee
were the articles selected for
the price reduction. A number
of factors influenced this choice
—the importance of the articles
in day to day consumption, the
effect of a reduction in their
price on the general cost of
living and the administrative
feasibility of reducing their
prices.”

Apparently these advantages
are not available in 1946.

The consumer milk subsidy
cost approimxately $20,000,000 a

“over that high level.

year, or about two cents per
WPETB

“fluid milk con-

capita.
press

According to
release,
sumption in Canada reached an
all-time high,” and the first
three months of 1946 showed a
further increase of 8 percent
“This last
would represent ap-
proximately 320,000,000 pounds of
fluid milk.”

increase

In 1945 Canada maintained the
high record in milk production,
setting a mark of 17,600,000,000
pounds as compared to 15,700,
000,000-in 1939. Most of this in-
crease has been taken up in the
stepped up fluid milk consump-

tion, amounting to 35 percent
compared with 1939. “Consump-
tion of milk in the 70 cities

from which regular reports are
received shows an increase of
00 percent since 1942.”

Wotwithstanding the wide-
spread beneficial results, thie
consumer subsidy was lifted

May 31, Since May, the prices
of dairy products have increased
15 percent and milk by 20 per-
cent. The further increase of
two cents a quart in September
“when the producer subsidy was
dropped will raise milk prices
an additional 15 percent.

Cost of living

NCREASES in meat and

dairy products during the last
four months have raised the
cost of living by $1 a week, or
#02 a year. If the Toronto Wel-
fare Council Budget is used the
extra cost amounts to $1.60 a
week or $83.20 a year.

Of course, with reductions im
take home pay, and rising prices
for other commodities, the Can-
adian working class family will
tbe forced to do without. The
effect on health and general
welfare cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents, but the na-

tions total health bill will cer-
tainly rise.
Control of milk and cream

prices has been returned to the
jurisdiction of provincial milk
boards. This means that the
provinces are responsible for
maintaining a fair return to the
farmer and keeping down prices
to the consumer. =

if the high level of fluid milk
production is to be maintained
it will be necessary to replace
the federal subsidy with either
a provincial milk subsidy or an
equivalent increase in prices to
the farmer. For Ontario, the
minister of agriculture, has al-
ready stated that the lifting of
the federai producer subsidy.
will mean a price increase—
amounting to one cent and a
quarter or one cent and a half
in October.

Cost and profit
‘HE price
places the federal subsidy of
55 cents per hundred pounds is”

increase which the

considered necessary to cover the
increase in the cost of produc—
Farmers

Say that the cost of three items
of production—labor, machinery
and protein foods— has risen 20
percent.

tion since last year.

The net income of Borden
Company in 1945 was over $12
millions. A special contingent
reserve amounts to nearly $12
millions. Canadian government
bonds on deposit and postwar
tax refunds totalled $1,719)542.

It should be noted that bottled
milk pays most of the expenses
of the entire industry, including
all dairy production. The great
est profits are therefore made
on ice cream, cheese evapor-
ated milk and butter, which are
given a free expense ride on
the back of bottled milk.

According to the Wall Street
Journal of March 18, Borden’s in
1945 set new records in profits
and sales, and “largest contrib-
utor to the total earning was
the ice-cream division.”

Nevertheless, as shown above,
milk coins a pretty penny for
the monopolists.

The foregoing survey of the
milk issue is reprinted from
Labor News, published weekly
by. the. Workers. Educational
Association in Toronto.

ig

Murmuring ‘no precedents,
Premier Hart displays a mag-
nificent silence on the issue of
milk.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1946