New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
Federal Board
Withdraws From
Control of Milk
Plans of All Concerned Are
Upset by Washington Am
nouncing U. S. Regulation
Ends Because of Armistice

The December milk price schedule in
New York City. calling for seventeen
cents a quart for Grade B and nine
teen cents for Grade A, promises to
prevail during January, unless the
tangle Of uncertainty which followed
yesterday on the heels of the Federal
Food Boards announcement that it
would not aid in formulating new
schedule, is Strengthened out.
Representatives of the Darymen's s
League. the farmers organization, and
the New York Milk Conference Board,
representative of tie dealers, were
gathered for the price -fxirg conference
in the Offices Of the Food Board when
Arthur Williams, local Food Admin
istrator, and John Mitchell. chairman
of the beard, announced they were
without power to act. In joint state
ment issued later, they declared that
their announcement had been prompted
by the food administration officials at
Washington.
Text of Statement
"The food administration has noti-
fled the New York Food Board and the
administrators of all the states" the
etdlelllenl IeduS, tildC IN view or the
armistice there will be no further need
forl Federal control Of liquid milk. but
rather that the question should now be
left to the local authorities. The board
has therefore informed the producers
and distributors that it will not con-
tinue to confer with them and de-
termine the question of milk prices
for this city.
ut should be added that the board
had received no suggestion from either
the producers or distributors of any
proposed increase in the price of milk
during the month of January and it is
hopeful that soon thereafter the price
will show material reduction with in
creased flow and lowered cost of feed
ing, following the prices of former
years"
The officials of both organizations
represented appeared bewildered at
the announcement and proceeded
to collect the data which they had
compiled and brought to substantiate
their CLAIMS for new price schedule.
1--WE are all up in the air" said
Albert Manning, secretary of the
/ Darymen's League, when asked what
course would be pursued in determin-
ing the January price scale.
"l haven't the slightest idea what
we will do" was the response to the
same question made by /. Eikins Ma
man, secretary of the New York Milk
Conference Board.
Meanwhile, downtown in the Crimi-
nal Courts Building, Assistant District
Attorney John T. Dooling, who is act
ing for the city in the John Doe in.
qulry into the high cost of milk, was
explaining to Chief Magistrate McAdoo
why none Of the witnesses called for
tie days session was present. He told
OF their presence at~the conference in
tne offices Of the Food Board A recess
or several hours was eclared.
Mr.. Nathan testified that consumers
were directly represented at only a
small percentage of the hearings. At
one OF the most important, he said.
s'avld Hirschfield, Compissioner of Ac
counts, represented Mayor Hylan. NThe
witness said that after Mr. Hirschfeld
had made plea for lower price an
increase of one and one-half cents 3
quart was fixed, instead of contem
plated two cents.
Davies Pact Exists
he New York Milk Conference Board
received ] cent for each 1000 rounds
Of milk distributed, which nettcd an
income Of over $4,000 last year, Mr..
Nathan said. He denied that any Nom
pers were hound by their aTiliation TO
adhere to the prices agreed on hy the
conference