Evening star., 1923-02-20
ESA|DF0R MILK
PRODUCERS ON WAY
Dr., Wiley Says Bills Are in
Good Shape for Introduction
Next Congress.
MAY TURN DISTRIBUTORS
Declares Present Dealers in Wash
ington Must Insure Farmers
Uniform Profit.

Milk bills now before Congress are
now in such a condition that they
can be introduced promptly In the
next Congress, and it is hoped that
TO further hearings will be .neces-
sary,' according to DIR. Harvey W.
Wiley. former head of the. bureau Of
chemistry. in an address this after
noon before the Housekeepers' AL
lance at the Art Center, 1106 Con-
necticut avenue.
TT is rather a sad commentary on
the kind of government, which we
have in the District of Columbia to
find that, after four years of agits-
ton of a great agricultural pTobleH
affecting the interests of the pro-
ducer. and great health problem az
fecting the welfare Of the consumers,
no definite action has been accom-
plished," DIR. Wiley declared. He con-
tinued. in part, as follows:
Defends Milk Producers.
I'm this connection l desire to say
a a.word on behalf of the milk pro-
ducer. His business is one OF the
most slavish of all agricultural pur-
suits: The business OF. producing milk
knows no night nor day, nor Sunday
nor holiday 1t claims the services of
the farmer and of HIS assistants at all
times and at all seasons. In storm. in
snow, in ice il eXacts the same faith
shine and in calm. The average dis
tance of the producer from Wash
ington Is probably fifty miles. From
his station the milk train leaves often
before sun up and always so in win
ter.
when any pressure is put upon the
market by. the public press OF other
wise to lower. the price of milk the
farmer has to bear the whole burden.
In all the reductions in price that
have taken place during my recol-
lection I do not recall single in
stance in which the distributor has
shared any part of the reduction with
the farmer. 1t is easy to imagine,
therefore, why the milk producer has
been driven into organization for the
protection of his legitimate interests.
TT is only recently that through an
act of Congress that he has been per-
mitted to. share with the labor unions
the privilege Of collective bargain
ing. That does not only mean selling,
but also buying. Organization is the
sole method by which farming can be
put on a paying basis. Eighty-five
per cent of all the milk coming into
produced by the members of the
Maryland and Virginia Milk Pro-
ducerS' Association. The association
has not yet undertaken the problem
of distribution and does not propose
to do so. if the dealers act fairly to-
ward them and give the farmers some
small share of the distributors uni
form profits.
Forty-Five Distributors in City.
There are now about forty-five dis
tributoTs of milk in this city. Each
one must have expensive cooling and
bottling establishments. distributing
wagons pasteurizing facilities and
heavy overhead charges. Their dis
tributing wagons cross and recross
each others tracks in all parts of the
town If the association that pro-
duces S5 per cent of the milk con-
sumed in Washington should do it's
own distributing a great part of this
expense could be saved. The farmer
would get more and the consumer pay
less for the milk"