Evening star., 1933-08-23
'trginian Said His Basic Ship
HaentS Were Cut When
He Refused to Join.
MARYLANDER FOUND
AFFILIATION "EASIER"
Bottle Loss Materially Reduced
After He Became Association
Member, Says Silver Hill Man.

Testimony designed to show attempts
had been made by the Maryland
Virginia Milk Producers Association
to force Independent distributors to
join the organization was introduced
today at the hearings before the Spe-
cial Senate Milk Investigating Com
mittee. Members of the association
furnish Washington with 80 per cent
Of its milk supply.
Two witnesses called by Elwood H.
Seal, special committee investigator,
told Of their experiences with repre-
sentatives of the organization when
they refused to join.
The first, J. J. Ramey of Vienna, Va,
said his basic milk shipments were sud-
denly reduced when he declined to affili-
ate with the organization. The other,
Joseph Fqeichman of the Providence
Farm at Silver Hill, Md, told how afili-
alton with the organization had made it
easier for him to sell his milk in the
District.
Bottle Loss Reduced.
F4eichman also declared his bottle
loss had been materially reduced since
joining the association. His testimony
prompted Chairman King to remark
that this looks like conspiracy be-
tween the Health Department and the
association"
One of the highhghts of Fleichman's
testimony was the revelation that he
was doing successful" business selling
milk at cents quart retail. A num-
Der of other distributors previously had
testified they made very little profit at
13 cents a quart
The hearings are expected to recess
this afternoon to give auditors an op-
portunity to complete a check of the
books of the various independent dis
tributors. Chairman King indicated
that the inquiry would be resumed as
soon as the audit is completed.
Ramey said he had been shipping
milk for some time to the Chestnut
Farms Dairy under special contract,
but was notified several years ago that
his shipments would be stopped unless
he joined the producers association
He said he refused to join and although
q
he voluntarily diverted his supply to
the Independent Wakefield Dairy. Then
he said, representative of the associa-
tion called on him, accused him of
diverting milk and even offered to bet
him that he would be forced to Join.
Il didn't take his bet," Ramey de-
clared, ''and I haven't joined the as
sociation yet. I have also warned the
representatives of the association to
stay of of my farm"
Obtains an Adjustment.
Ramey declared that shortly after he
started to ship to the Wakefield Dairy,
somebody tried to reduce my basic
lons," and he took the matter up with
the dairy and an adjustment was made
on the 16,000-gallon basis.
Fleichman described how he bought
the Providence Farm Dairy in Decem-
ber, 1881, and started bottling and SELL
ing milk in Maryland at cents a quart
"All of a sudden" he said. two men
started to follow me and asked me to
join the association. was doing good
business and told them I did not want
to join, but they followed me for a
week"
Later, Fleichman declared. he went
to his barn one day and found the two
men waiting for him and offered him
% cents a gallon for his milk if he
would become a member of the as
Sociation. These men explained, he
pointed out, that he would get the
% cents and not have to bottle his own
milk. The offer, he said, appeared at
tractive, and he joined the association.
But when the checks came in for his
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