Evening star., 1919-03-31
HAS GONE LIMIT
IN NM|LKF|GHT
Health Department Replies to
Complaint of Producers
Association.

tions pending in court. the health de-
partment confessed today to having
exhausted all means at it's command
to prevent the bringing of milk into
the District from unlicensed sources.
Legal technicalities have made pos
sible a sidetracking of final DISPOSE
ton of these cases. Health Ofiicer
Fowler said, in answer to charge by
the Maryland and Virginia Milk Pro-
ducers Association that the people OF
Washington are being imposed on be-
'rsuse of the failure of the health de-
partment to punish producers and
dealers who do not comply with the
law.
Licensed Farmers Suffer.
The association also claims that
farmers and. dealers who comply with
suffer heavy financial losses through
competition with those who do not
observe the regulations.
The health department is in full
sympathy with the licensed farmer
who has to compete with his unli-
censed neighbor and is doing all it
can to protect them, but feels that its
ly understood by all concerned" said
DR.. Fowler.
1T is admitted that milk from un-
licensed farms has been and is still
being brought into the District of CO.
lumbia, but it is not being brought
into the District with the permission
of the District authorities The health
department has reSorted to every
means at its command to prevent this
unlawful practice and has consistently
brought proceedings against all deal
iers who have been detected in engag-
ing in such practice.
1T is much regretted, however, that
, the department has met with little
success in getting these cases before
the court for final disposition. AS an
evidence Of the activities Of the de-
partment in the enforcement of the
milk law, forty-fve cases, involving
twelve separate dairymen in this city,
most of them being large distIbuters,
are now awaiting trial before the
dealer was tried before a jury in Po-
llice Court for bringing milk from an
unlicensed farm into the District of
Columbia, and was adjudged guilty.
His attorney, however, by resorting
to certain legal procedures, has thus
far been able to prevent the imposi-
tion of the deserved penalty.
Alleges Misstatement.
"The statement that dealers who
procure their milk supply from prop
erly licensed firms are penalized
since other dealers who compete with
them are permitted to bring milk
into Warrington from uninspected
sources" is. equally a misstatement
of facts. Among the forty-five
cases now awaiting action by the
yrf nf ha 0oV oct 1on lnp>S iv1
Washington are involved. These
dealers not only obtained milk from
| licensed farms, but have also OBJ
tanned it from unlicensed farms as
well, mixing the nroducts Of the two
! farms at their respective dairies in
| of unlicensed milk which has been
| referred to in the public press re-
Gently was brought into Washing
| ton by a dealer who obtains his
| supply from both licensed and un-
| licensed sources.
/ The licensed dairy farmer or pro-
ducer is also not entirely blameless
| in the matter of milk from unlicensed
farms being brought into The District
| of Columbia, as the health department
| is in possession Of information tend
| ing to show that some producers op-
Grating under a license issued by the
health department allow their un-
licensed neighbors to use their cans
(the licensed shipper's) and to ship
the unlicensed product as q part Of
the milk supply from the licensed
farm. 5
The law is now and always has
been enforced impartially against all
| offenders.
''rhe milk problem is recognized as
a very complex one and the health de-
| partment is willing and anxious to
| cooperate with the producers and
! dealers in any effort which they may
f, make to furnish the people of Wash
| ington a clean and wholesome milk
! supply at the lowest price it can be
| produced with a reasonable profit to
the producer"