Evening star., 1936-07-16
MILK SUPPLY CUT
BY HOT. WEATHER
Director of Producers Body
Declares Continued Heat
May Create Shortage.

WaSnlngCOnS milk supply has been
reduced approximately 5000 gallons a
day by the extended hot weather. B.
B. Derrick, director Of the Maryland
Virginia Milk Producers Association,
said today.
Continuation of the heat wave he
declared, might create a shortage Of
milk for the Capital city area, oIt no
increase in price is contemplated un-
less the cost Of feed becomes too high.
The Washington area consumed
$4,000 gallons supplied by association
distributors yesterday, Derrick said.
This represents about SO per cent of
the entire market in the area.
There will be shortage Of milk
II we lose 5000 gallons more a day of
the supply" he pointed out. At pres
ent the supply is sufficient to handle
the demand despite q reduction Of
5000 gallons day in the supply
thus far.
Meanwhile a hearing will be held
Monday in the Department Of Agr!-
culture on the associations petition
for uniform price scale for its own
members and others who ship to dis
tributors here.
Week About Limit.
Referring to the milk supply. Der
rick said: we can't stand much more
OF this weather or our supply Will be
short. One more week is about the
limit.
Concentrated feed has gone up Sc
a ton this last week and the hay crop
in Maryland will be only about so per
cent OF normal and in Virginia 33 A
per cent. In some sections of Vir-
ginia silo corn is a complete failure.
1T didn't come up on account Of
the dry weather at planting time" the
director declared. The drought also
has curtailed our supply Of cream
from the Middle West"
The milk supply also is dwindling IN
other cities. In the last several days
Norfolk and Richmond have sought
to secure milk from the associatior
here, according TO Derrick, but his or
ganization was unable to help them.
Cut Prices to Wholesalers.
Discussing Mondays hearing, Der
rick said. Our cooperating distribu-
tors, who buy from members of thi,
organization. pay 2612 cents a gallon
or $500 per 100 pounds for all the
milk they keep in their plants and SCI,
as fluid milk or fluid cream. A couple
of distributors get their milk about
20 cents per 100 pounds below that
figure. Then they go out and cut
prices, largely to wholesale customers
The proposed plan TO come before
the Agriculture Department woulc
place the Washington milk market
under an administrator, who would
enforce the uniform prices, witt
bonuses for higher butter fat content
and good farm and cattle scores.
Plans for opposing the agreemen
will be made Saturday at Fairfax a
meeting called by DR.. F. W. Huddle,
ston, Fairfax County treasurer and E
large independent milk producer
Other Independents will confer with
him. The Fairfax Farms and High.
land Farms are the only local dis.
tributors who buy from independent;
and they are expected to join the
opposition.
Seal to Represent ID. c.
Assistant Corporation Counsel E..
wood Seal has been named by Com.
missioner Hazen to represent the Dis,
trict as an observer" at Monday
hearing. Seal. two years ago, con-
Quoted an investigation into the ques
ton of monopoIstic practices in tn,
milk industry in this area as agen
for the Senate District Committee
but no legislative action was taken
He also advised with COMMISSIONS
Allen later in the campaign to obtair
milk at cheaper prices for families or
the District relief list.
Milk shipped here, by crossing thI
District line, is in interstate com.
merce, and for this reason it is be-
lieved the proposed agreement woult
be legal. Baltimore's milk agreement
three years ago was killed in court be-
cause most Of that city's supply come
from within Maryland. Derrick ad.
ministered the Maryland agreement
before he came here.