Evening star., 1921-10-26
D. c. MILK SUPPLY
HEARING ORDERED
Subcommittee of House
Named on Request of Dis
tributors' Attorney.

A subcommittee Of the House Dis
trlct committee was today appointed
to conduct hearing relative to the
milk supply of the District. This COM
mittee consists of Representatives
Lampert of Wisconsin. Millspaugh of
Missouri. Sproul of Illinois, Hammer
of North Carolina and Kunz Of Illi-
nois.
Chairman Lampert said he would
endeavor to arrange for the hearing
20 start tomorrow morning in the
House District committee rooms.
The hearing was asked by NJ. L.
oBrien, an attorney. who said he rep
| resented the distributors Of is per
! cent of all the milk consumed in the
District.
statement by Mr.. O'Brfen.
Mr. OBrien said that for dozen
years or more there have been bills
before the House District committee
attempting to build a wall around the
District. SO that nearby producers could
nix the price of milk and force Washing
ton consumers to pay a higher price
than anywhere else. This is not in
the interest of public health, MIR.
Brien said. He criticised group Of
fadilsts and scientists who have been
attempting to get prohibitory regula-
tions.
In reply to questions by Chairman
Focht, Mr.. OBrien said that there Is
no law of supply and demand opera
tive regarding the milk supply in the
District.
.All we want is an open market"
he said. He criticized what he called
crazy regulations" OF the health de-
partment. He said that those whom
he represents desire to comply with
proper and necessary regulations
made to insure the purity of the milk
in the District.
Fowler Hopes for Mediation.
Hope for settlement of Washing
tons milk war rested today largely
with the District health officer. Will
liam c. Fowler. After conference
with local distributors yesterday
afternoon, DR.. Fowler this morning
heard the producers side of the con-
troversy. Out of the facts presented
he expected to construct a possible
basis for mediation.
DIR. Fowler's control of the milk
situation ends with his authority to
see that milk consumed here comes
up to required standards, but in this
official both distributors and pro-
ducers recognize an impartial judge.
having only the public's interests at
heart, who may be able to iron out
MY interest. first and last, is in
the public" said the health officer
i today. THE present situation does
not hold the menace of a milk short
age, but the public's interests will
be served when there is a resump-
ton of normal relations between
those who distribute milk here and
nearby producers in Maryland and
Virginia. 1 have heard the dfstrib-
utorS grievances and will discuss
tfem in detail with the producers. If
either side has taken an unreasonable
position l shall point it out and en-
working relations again"
West Virginia Milk Available.
DR.. Fowler said arrangements have
been completed for shipment into
the District of licensed milk from
West Virginia. There is little doubt,
he said. that dealers. whose supplies
Virginia Milk Producers Association
will be able to obtain licensed milk
from other sources and supply their
customers with normal deliveries for
an indefinite period
While there is no danger of a milk
shortage, health officials can see no
advantage in a situation which would
compel the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS asso-
citation to seek a market outside the
District and local dealers to obtain
their supplies from such distant
sources as West Virginia and New
York. They believe that the District
logically should obtain it's milk from
Maryland and Virginia farms, and
this can come about only through the
restoration of relations between local
dealers and farmers in those states.