The Washington herald., 1921-11-22
The Truth About the Milk Situation
Statement of Facts By
w. A. SIMPSON

On October when the price of milk advanced
put out my price notices for IS cents per quart and
cents per pint for milk delivered to homes At the
same time three other diaries the city put their
notices tor cents per quart and cents per pint with
higher prices for special mks On October 2 two of
these three diaries had notices the papers announcing
reduction in the price of milk to meet my figures On
November ] | cut the price of milk to ii cents per
quart for home deliveries. The extra expense of
bottng and handling pint bottles necessitates diff
ference in the price between pnts and quarts
On October n, the Maryland and Virginia Pro-
ducers Association, through its officers tried 10 pull
OF milk strike, whereby several Thousands gallons
OF milk were diverted from certain local dealers here
without days notice Fortunately, was in posi-
ton to supply these dealers with sufficient milk to tide
them over until they could make arrangements to get
supply. Had these dealers been left without milk
thousands of babies and invalids would have suffered
from this action of the Producers Association As
was the majority OF the producers soon realized that
they had made serious mistake and came back to
the dealers to whom they had been shipping.
In the meantime, had. through a mutual friend
interviewed Member of Congress and my request he
arranged for the investigation being conducted BY
the House Committee. So much for that.
/ am not fighting the Health Department but
am hghtng to break the strange hold that the Mary
land and Virginia Producers Association has held on the
milk distributors of Washington and indirectly on the
milk-consuming public
congress can and probably will give us much
needed law that will rgidly protect the milk of Wash
ngton and at the same time give the public better and
lower priced milk As the matter stands now. with
limited number of farmers supplying WASHINGTON from
so-caled Licensed" FARMS the very independence of
their position tends to lower the quality of the milk
shipped to the city. If the milk is not of as b;ob
quality as it should be when shipped in it is case of
take it or leave it, particularly when there is a short
age Moreover this monopoly enjoyed by the so-caIed
licensed farms enables these producers in the asso
cation to dictate any terms they please (provSded
they are allowed to have their Way and to so MANN
uate the supply of this food of babies and children
as to nulEty the effects of the law of s,rnnlv and
demand With other markets choose from the Js.rs in
Washington could pick their milk carefully and oct I The
best The Producers Association fighting to keep this
monopoly intact fearing the loss of the market here to local
shippers No dealer here will refuse buy locally produced
milk, provided is up the standard as il p,taT
preferable to milk produced 50 100 miles further away
am the ouly dealer in Washington who gets his entire
supply through his receiving stations located in the
country Practically all of my milk comes from Frederick
Md in the heart of the richest farming land in this mart of
the country. Recently opened up another receiving station
few miles from Frederick order to assure myself If
sufficient supply of milk all times All the farm. SHINING
to me are UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE HEAL III
DEPARTMENT. When | opened up this last receiving sta
ton in territory and PAID for having III. HERDS
OF CATTLE TUBERCULIN TESTED in order tba, III. nro
ducton of milk might be encouraged This is but one small
phase of the building to give Washington sniff
cient milk.