Evening star., 1934-10-12
i. S. WILL REVIEW
MILK COST DATA
FOR THIS REGION
Result Will Assist Plan to
Buy Surplus for Needy
Families.
DISTRICT MAY PETITION
FOR PURCHASE FUNDS
At Least 100000 Monthly May
Be Deducted From Process
Tax Receipts.

The Department Of Agriculture TO-
day notified the District it would make
a check of figures on the cost of pro-
duction of milk in this area, finding
which is declared important in the
plan of Commissioner George E. Allen
to buy surplus" milk to be given to
Washington relief families.
Meanwhile, District officials were
preparing today to petition the Agrl-
culture Department for grant from
the process tax funds for use in buy
ing additional milk for Washingtons
needy. Current opinion is that the
plan will fail unless adequate funds
are forthcoming to enable the DISTRICT
to buy a large additional quantity OF
milk for the relief families over and
above what amounts they now can
purchase out of their relief budgets.
Cost Figures Reported.
Frank S. Walker, president OF the
Virginia Milk Producers
Association, recently informed the Dis
trict the cost of production of milk
in this area during the year from
August, 1882, to August, 1888, was
BOIL cents per gallon, or slightly
more than / per cent in excess OF the
prices paid to the producers by the
local distributors for basic" milk, &C
cording to available information.
For this reason Elwood Seal, as
sistant corporation counsel, assigned
to handle the milk plan for the Com
nnissioners, asked the Agriculture De-
partnent to check the production cost
data.
M. L. Wilson. acting Secretary Of
Agriculture, today notified Seal the
Bureau of Agricultural Economics
would make this check. He asked that
data supporting the cost figures be pro-
vided for the study. Seal said he
would call upon Walker to provide
this supporting data.
The agriculture head said it was
not feasible for his department to
bring the cost figures up to date as
requested by Seal.
Many Make Direct Purchases.
1t is expected the District will petit
ton the Agriculture Department for a
grant of at least $50 900 a month,
out of the processing tax receipts, for
the purpose of buying extra milk for
needy families. At least this much
extra money is said to be needed to
make the program feasible. Action
in the matter is expected to be taken
next week by Commissioner Allen.
A study of about 5 per cent of the
$4,000 relief families here, made un-
der the direction of Miss Alice Hill
emergency relief director, showed that
some 5000 gallons of milk per day
were being consumed by the relief
families. Figuring the average fam
lily at 81 persons, this would mean
that each relief client, on the aver
age, now can buy but half pint OF
milk per day, Seal said. officials say
this is far too little.
Some health experts say children
should have a quart of milk a day.
Some Restrictions Opposed.
Relief officials are definitely opposed
to the milk plan if the distribution OF
the milk must be handled by the re-
lief organization or if the cost of the
milk given to the relief families must
be deducted from the relief budgets
set up for the families. In the latter
case, relief officials say, an insur-
mountable task of revising $4,000 re-
lief budgets would fall on the agency
Commissioner Allen has tentatively
planned, however, to let contract to
a local dairy to process and distribute
the milk, if a reasonable offer is re-
ceived from local distributor. If
Federal funds are granted for the cost
of buying the milk, it is explained,
also, there would be no need for re-
ducing the relief budgets to cover the
extra milk cost.
Commissioner Allen had three OBJ
jestives in mind in proposing the pur-
chase of the so-called surplus milk
that is, the amounts over and above
the quantity said to be needed for
fluid milk consumption here.
First, he hoped to provide more
adequate amount of milk for the re-
lief families; second, to prevent an
anticipated boost in the price of retail
milk: and, third, TO grant some aid
incidentally to the farmers by taking
off the market the So-called surplus
milk for which the farmers now re-
ceive but 16 cents a gallon, as op-
posed to 29 cents for basic milk.