Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-30
DAIRYMEN URGED NOT
TO QUIT BUSINESS
Appeal Sent All Over State By
Defense Council
CONFERENCE In WASHINGTON
And Chairman Gray Tells Marylanders
OF Request About Withholding
Increase in Price

Dalrymen of Anne Arundel county
are today receiving copies of the cir
cular letter prepared by Gen. Carl r.
Gray, Chairman of the State Council
of Defense, calling on them not to
quit the dairy business.
The belief that many dairymen OF
Maryland are preparing to go out of
the milk business and send their herds
to slaughter led to a strong appeal
to the producers by Gen. Gray.
General Gray's appeal was sent out
last night to about 1900 dairymen
throughout the State. In it he urges
them on patriotic grounds not to take
any hasty step that will decrease the
supply of so valuable a food as milk,
and asks that they await the result of
the Hoover investigation which he be-
lieves will go a long way toward
clearing up the whole milk situation.
Mr.. Gray. with S. NJ Shoemaker. d.
G. Harry and l. w Heaps, of the
Maryland Dairymen's Association,
and Dr. A. F. Woods, president of the
Maryland Agricultural College, were
in Washington yesterday and spent
five hours going over the situation
with representatives of Mr.. Hoover in
the Food Administration Department.
They were told emphatically that no
request had been made by them thai
the dairymen here refrain from put
ting into effect the increase in price
agreed upon for Septembr until after
the investigation could be made. No
such request had been made, it was
stated, and there had been a mis-
understanding on that score. The
dairymen, it is understood, propose to
go ahead with their program and will
put in the increased price to the dis
tributor into effect on September l.
Whether this increase will be prompt
ly handed ON by the distributor to the
consumer is not yet known.
Situation Serious.
Chairman Gray thinks the situation
an exceedingly serious one, but be-
lieves that it would not be wise at
this time for the State Council of
Defense to start an investigation, as
it would probably conflict with the
Hoover investigation, and that the
best thing to do is to await the re-
suits of that investigation.
Mr. Gray's appeal to the dairymen
is as follows:
ITO the Milk Producers of Maryland:
From reports reaching this coun-
ell. through its Committee on Agri-
culture, we have an impression that
- loi hncffatinp
as to whether they will place their
corn in the silo or permit it to ma
ture into grain, which virtually means
retirement from the milk business.
THE council feels that such an ac-
ton, at time like this, would be lit
tie short of a calamity. Every effort
is being exerted by the men and
women of America to increase the
production of food, and there is none
more essential and valuable than
milk.
"The United States Food Admins
tration has appointed committees and
will secure the cooperation of pro-
ducers and consumers alike to de-
termine. as nearly as may be, the
cost of producing and distributing
milk. We feel confident that when
this information is obtained, through
such an impartial and responsible
source. the milk question will have
been brought long way toward solu-
tion.
For practical reasons, and as
patriotic consideration, we appeal TO
the producer to continue with his
business: to turn his corn into the
silo, and not permit the slaughter OF
mich cows