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The dairymen made least happy by the State scale and the summer's drought were a pair of brothers named Stanley and Felix Piseck. Born in Peru, Ill. of Polish parents, they, still own a farm there, have lived for the past 16 years near Poland, N. Y. where they operate four farms. They led New York's milk strike of 1933 which failed to enlist solid support. This year their agitation for better milk prices has found much more sympathy. They claim 45,000 of the State's 1,000,000 dairy farmers as members of their New York Milk Producers Federation. They claim the support of 40,000 more.
Month ago, to still growing discontent in the cow counties, the State Commission of Agriculture upped the price of fluid milk to $2.70 per cwt., the price of milk for other uses to $2.05. The Pisecks retorted by demanding $3 for all milk regardless of the use to which it was put. Last week they were storming through the State, stumping like politicians for higher milk prices. Of Governor Lehman they demanded a special session of the Legislature to empower the Commission to establish a uniform price. The Governor apologetically declined.
Cried younger Brother Felix Piseck at Delhi: "I'm the last man in this crowd who wants a strike, but if we can't get rid of the classified plan any other way, we must keep our milk at home." There was hearty applause.
Cried older Brother Stanley Piseck: "Be men! We are going to have the masses with us to tear out this crime. Let me tell you brave men of the hills this: Don't be crybabies. Hold your milk!"
Three days later New York City's big milk distributors, including Borden's and Sheffield Farms, boosted the retail price of Grade B milk from 13¢ per qt. to 14¢ per qt., voluntarily raised the price paid farmers for fluid milk to $2.87 per cwt.
A meeting of milk producers in Syracuse retorted by wiring the Governor: "What do you advise to avert a milk holiday? Immediate reply desired." Caught in an election year between his milk-producing and his milk-consuming constituents, all that Herbert Lehman could think of was to order his Commissioner of Agriculture to call a conference.
*A hundred pounds of milk is approximately 47 quarts.