Evening star., 1921-10-28
milk PRODUCERS
BODY IS TARGET
D. c. Distributors to No Long.
er Deal With Body-Dr.
Fowler Opposes It.

\ fight for it's existence was indi-
Gated by developments today to be
in store for the Maryland and Fir-
ginia Milk, Producers Association
ultimatum they would no longer deal
with association and Health Off
Ger J. announced he Was opposed
to tn organization on the ground
that he believed its purpose Is to
secure control of the Districts milk
supply.
These Developments followed visit
paid to DR.. Fowler this morning by
Representative Lampert of Wiscon-
sin, chairman of the subcommittee of
the House District committee, which,
Monday morning, will begin an eN-
alton.
The health officer this afternoon will
meet the subcommittee informally and
acquaint it with the salient features of
the situation. He described to Repre-
sentative Lambert developments lead
ers, composing the Maryland and Nir-
ginia association. and local dealers.
whose supplies of milk recently were
cut off by the association.
81 am opposed to the association be-
cause | believe it's purpose is to obtain
a monopoly of the milk business in the
District DIR. Fowler stated to repre-
sentative /of The Star today. Il be-
lieve the distributors, who have notified
the aSSociat ton they will no longer deal
with ii, are in a position to obtain IL
cenSed milk from other sources. and
will make good their ultimatum."
May Mean Lower Prices.
The health officer also said he be-
leved the outgrowth of the con-
troversy would be lowering of milk
prices in Washington.
Concerning local prices, which are
and cents higher than the prices
charged in Baltimore and Philadel-
phia. Dr. Fowler said he believed the
distributors were not entirely blame
less for the higher tariffs prevailing
here, though they have sought to lay
the blame on the producers. He said
every reduction in the price of milk
Washington has had since the war
was initiated by the producers and
the distributors simply passed it on
to the public. The distributors, he
charged, had never of their own in
itiative r1Iuced prices. though he felt
confident reductions have been justi-
fled since labor costs have come
down.
Speaking for the distributors today,
Attorney Charles w. Darr declared
land and Virginia farmers who ship
milk into the District. He said the
distributors were placed on the de-
fensive when the association sus-
pended shipments to them without
notice, and that their grievance was
against the association and not the
Individual producers. The local
dealers. he said, were desirous of
dealing with the farmers individually,
and would more than meet them
half way in establishing new rela-
tons
District officials, who are keeping
a close watch on the situation with
the view of entering prosecutions in
all cases in which unlicensed milk Is
found to have been shipped into the
District, expressed the opionion today
that the Maryland and Virginia as
sociation. in the event distributors
here continue to refuse to deal with
il. will be faced with the alternative
of disbanding or finding new market
for its product. In every quarter
the fight was regarded as involving
the continued existence of the asso-
citation.
Hearings Start Monday.
Hearings on the milk supply for the
city of Washington are to start Mon
day morning at 10 o'clock in the
House District committee room,
Chairman Lampert of the special sub
committee of the House District COM
mittee announced today. DR.. Fowler
will be the first witness and will be
asked to reply to charges made by
NJ. L, O'Brien, an attorney claiming
to represent distributors of 85 per
cent of the milk consumed in the Dis
trict. Among these charges were
that the milk regulations have been
arranged so as to establish mo-
uopoly for nearby producers, under
which they have been liable Ito fix the
price in the District higher than in
other cities,