Milk shortage threatens Chicago today as a result of disputes between the Milk Dealers Association and the Milk Drivers Union. The crisis occurred yesterday when drivers of the United Dairy Company went on strike. And the Borden Company too, straightway brought the lockout against drivers in all other milk plants of the Dealers Association. All deliveries throughout the city ceased, with the exception of the Liberty Dairy Co., who deny any lockout at their plant.

In this strike-lockout many inside workers in the milk plants have gone on a sympathy strike.

The Drivers Union, whose contract with the bosses expired May 1, demanded a new wage scale of thirty-five dollars a week. The Dealers Association would not sanction this, presenting instead a workmen's maximum wage of thirty dollars a week. The union refused to accept these terms on grounds of the increased cost of living expenses.

The Dealers Association claim they cannot afford to pay the wages demanded by 2the workers because in that case they would have to increase the price of milk paid by the public. This price was recently reduced from 14 to 13 cents a quart, which would, the bosses claim, have to be again raised to 15 cents a quart if they were to yield to the demands of the drivers.

The Drivers Union denies the statement of the dealers. The union accuses the dealers that through their lockout they have made it impossible for the drivers to deliver milk to babies and hospitals, as the union planned in case of strike.

The Western Dairy Co., which delivers milk to Jewish Institutions such as the Orphans Sheltering Home, Old Age Home, and others,notified that arrangements have been made to get milk to the institutions throughout the duration of this dispute.

Health Commissioner Dr. John Dill Robertson came to the rescue in this milk crisis. He called the representatives of both sides to a conference, with the purpose of settling the dispute through arbitration, or at least to arrange 3that babies and the sick of Chicago do not suffer for lack of milk. But this conference has brought no results.

The United States government will today make an attempt to settle the strike. Mr. Fred L. Feik, commissioner from the Department of Labor, requested a conference today of both groups.

Mr. Feik explained that the government will, first of all, demand that hospitals and children receive milk, and should this not be arranged immediately, strong measures will be taken by the Department of Labor.

Dairy Owners say that if the public support the drivers, they will be forced to charge 15 cents for a quart of milk. In Detroit and in New York, they say, they already pay 16 cents a quart.