Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-09-20
WORKS TO INSURE
D. c. MILK SUPPLY
Health Officer Sees Both
Dealers and Producers-No
ce-Raising Likely.

Health officer William c. Fowler
today planned to make sure that
that Washington will have an ade-
in the event that some of the local
ment with the Maryland and Virginia
Milk Producers Association.
He had long session in his Office
this morning with a committee from
the producers association and expects
to meet this afternoon with dealers
who are unwilling to discontinue the
practice of buying from the farmers
individually and take their milk
through the association.
1t is believed that the question of
an increase In the price of milk was
eliminated from the situation ,yester-
day when the farmers met here and
decided not to raise the wholesale
price paid by the retailer
A survey of the situation today,
however, indicated that several of the
largest dealers in the city are stand
ing firm in their determination not
TO accept the contract under which
they would have to buy from the
farmers association instead of from
the farmers direct.
DR.. Fowler made it plain this morn
ing that he is not concerned with the
relative merits of the contract fight
between the producers and the group
OF larger retailers.
Seek New Sources.
MY interest in the matter" said
DR.. Fowler. as to make certain that
sufficient amount of milk comes
into the city"
In a statement issued by o. A.
Jamison, secretary of the organiza-
ton, 1t was claimed that only, three
or the washington dealers are OBJ
jecting to. the contract the farmers
have drawn up to sell their milk on
cooperative plan.
1t was further asserted that As per
cent of the city's supply already has
been contracted for under the asso-
cations plan.
The organization will make one
more effort to get the hold-out deal
ers to sign the association contract.
Some time before October / the asso-
citation VIII invite those dealers to
conference.
The decision of the farmers not to
raise their wholesale price is expected
TO leave the retail price of IA cents
quart this winter.
Our ASSOCIATION is standing firm for
the right of cooperative marketing
said Mr.. Jamison. There is no dis
pute with the dealers as to price
What we ask is that milk produced
by members of this association be
paid for through the association,
producers in this territory have
formed an association to market
their milk and that they want it to
perform the function for which it
was intended.
Our association is in a position TO
insure an ample milk supply to the
residents of Washington. Not a
child shall suffer; not a customer
shall go begging.
VIII supply City.
Practically all of the milk now
coming into the Washington market
Will continue to come here regardless
OF the action taken by a small group
purposes and not out of consideration
for the public. have consistently OPP
posed a legitimate cooperative or
ganization Of milk producers"
The public should remember" said
Mr.. Jamison. that every bit of milk
that comes to this organisation to be
sold is being produced in the territory
which DR.. Fowler, the health officer.
points out has been repeatedly in
spected. AS a result of his efforts
washington is credited with having
one of the best milk supplies in the
country. 1t has meant hard work and
patient effort on his part 1t has
meant expense to the farmer. And
yet few distributors are willing to
throw all this in the discard because
they object to dealing through an or
ganization that the farmers them
selves have delegated to represent
them.
No Restrictions.
1.-THE contract that we are asking
Washington dealers to sign, and to
which only three of them object, con-
tains nothing more terrible than a
clause binding them to pay for
their milk through this organization.
There are no restrictions placed upon
the quality of the milk a dealer can
lay. The association makes no OBJ
lection whatever If dealers have ia
vorite producers whose product they
wish shipped to them direct.
These dealers are opposing a
legitimate cooperative organization
of producers. organized in accordance
with the cooperative associations
law of Maryland and the recently
enacted federal statute. Their highly
fpaid legal talent prepared elaborate
and ponderous opinions of the pitfalls
of the contract which producer MEM
bers of this association were asked
to sign. To protect the farmer,
weighty documents were sent broad
cast to milk producers in our terri
tory. But the producers have pre-
ferred to rely on their own associa-
ton for protection rather than ac-
! cept the protection Of philanthropic
dealers"