Evening star., 1933-07-28
PROBE S|DETRACKS
D, c, MILK MARKET
| AGREEMENT PLANS
Senator King Tells Producers
Inquiry Will Continue Re-
gardess of Action.
MEETINGS, However,
ARE NOT OPPOSED
Maryland-v Virginia Association Off,
cial Says Submission of Terms
Will Await Hearings.

Submission of q milk marketing
agreement for the District Of Columbia
to the Department of Agriculture,
under the new farm relief act. will be
sidetracked until after the Senate in
vestigation into local milk prices, al
though preliminary conferences are ex-
pected to be held for the discussion of
a proposed agreement.
This was the situation today follow
ing conference late yesterday between
omcials OF the Maryland and Virginia
Milk Producers Association and Chair
man King Of the Senate District Com
mittee. at which Senator King told
them the inquiry of his committee
would be carried through regardless of
any steps that may be taken
toward preparation of q marketing
agreement or changing of price sched-
ules.
Senator King said the producers
wanted to know II he had any objection
ration OF marketing agreement. He
said he told them that was for them to
decide, and added
The duty Of my committee Is to in
vestlgate milk prices, and whatever YOU
DO, am going ahead with the investi-
cation ordered by the Senate"
ASVs h8oAAos NO1IcIcuCS8s
The Senator said he could not OBJ
1ect to the holding Of conferences by
those engaged in the milk business for
the purpose Of discussing marketing
problems. but emphasized that the
Senate inquiry would 90 forward re-
gardless of any such conferences.
John McGill, secretary-treasurer Of
the Maryland and Virginia Milk Pro-
ducers' Association, said today he ex-
pected conferences would be arranged
between producers and distributors to
consider the terms Of q tentative agree
ment but that there is no intention of
submitting an agreement to the Agricul-
ture Department until after the Senate
milk hearings are over.
Mr.. McGill and John S. Barbour
were the officials of the producers
association who called on Senator King.
Thus far. the Senate investigation
has been passing through the prelim-
mary stage Of gathering and studying
information and statistics, under the
direction Of Assistant Corporation
Counsel Elwood Seal. counsel to the
with Senator King yesterday during the
meeting with the producing officials.
No Senate hearings have been held yet,
and are not likely to start for several
weeks. The hearings are awaiting COM
pletion of q study by accountants of
the books Of distributors and pro-
ducers.
Some Agreements In.
The Agricultural Adjustment Admin
istration, acting under the new farm
relief act, has received for considera-
ton milk marketing agreements worked
out by the producers and distributors
Of number Of cities in different parts
Of the country. None Of these agree
ments has been promulgated yet. The
first one Is likely to be for the Chicago
area.
Mr.. McGill said the first step taken
toward discussion of proposed market
ing agreement for the District was to
take the proposed Chicago agreement
and attempt to adapt it to conditions
here. He said this was tentative and
subject to further discussion.
Mr.. McGill said that in drawing up
this proposed agreement the producers
recommended that the farmers receive
the same prices they are getting at
present, namely: For the milk to be
sold in bottle form, 26 cents a gallon:
for the milk used for cream-making
purposes, 20 cents, and for the surplus
milk, used for manufactured purposes,
10ha cents a gallon. The farmers also
receive a premium ranging from l to
cents a gallon, according to their
Health Department ratings.
He said this tentative marketing
agreement as drafted by the producers
does not at this time contain prices to
be obtained by distributors in selling to
consumers because the procedure would
be for the dealers to determine what
price schedule they should recommend
before any agreement is submitted to
the agricultural administration. The
proposed agreement has not yet reached
that stage of consideration.