Evening star., 1936-08-11
DAIRY CONDITIONS
MILK
SHORTAGE IN FALL
Producers Must Get More
From Distributors, Says
Derrick.
PROSPECTIVE LOSSES
WOULD CUT SUPPLY
Hearing by Rutland Develops
Belief D. C. Health Rules Do
Not Increase Price.

A shortage in the Washington milk
supply impends this Fall unless dairy
farmers foresee an early improvement
in their economic condition, Bruce 3.
Derrick, secretary-treasurer of the
Maryland and Virginia Milk Produc-
ers Association, warned today.
Amplifying testimony given at a
hearing in the District Building yes
terday, Derrick said producers must
get more for their milk from distribu-
tors to make up for prospective losses
resulting from drought damage and
the increased cost of feed or they will
be forced to curtail production. The
result, he said, will be an arbitrary
increase in the retail cost Of milk,
unattended by any immediate increase
IN production.
You can't Just turn a COW of and
on like spigot,' Derrick said; IF we
let production fall of now, there will
be shortage this Fall"
Faith" Levels Production.
Derrick said that If retail dealers
will pay more to the farmer now it
will not necessarily produce a price
boost to consumers and will encourage
continuance of production at faith
levels. If. however, the dairy farmer
is faced with continuance of the
present situation he will contract his
plant or go out of business and the
retail price will be forced up by the
resulting shortage, Derrick said.
Yesterdays hearing was the third
conducted by DR.. George C. Rutland.
District health officer, to determine
whether District health regulations
tend to increase the price of milk.
The consensus, Of both organized
and independent producers, was that
they do not.
DR.. Rutland previously had heard
from consumers and distributors
groups. which said there was no
cause for a retail price rise.
The Washington Consumers Coun-
Gil had suggested milk might be i'm
ported from other localities if price
increase loomed.
Quality Better Here.
Derrick said yesterday milk from
the Eastern Shore of Maryland and
from Pennsylvania producing regions
did not compare in quality with that
produced under District health regu-
lations and that imports would ruin"
a $7,000,0 investment by local dairy
farmers
Eastern Shore milk Is chiefly "a
bucket-and-cow' product, he said.
Derrick cited rainfall and feed fig
ures to show the effect of drought on
dairy farms near Washington. In
creases in feed prices from June Is
to August 8, he reported, ranged from
20 to SIS per cent.
Contradictory testimony was given
by Glenn Trout, independent dairy
farmer of Walkersville, Md, who said
he had a herd of 40 COWS and has
been shipping to the Washington mar
ket IL years.
He has been receiving an average
price of ala cents a gallon for his
milk. Trout said. and has been able
to cover expenses and make profit.
Trout said he had no surplus and
that although his pastures had been
short" conditions we're not as bad
as last year.
Lowest Price Here.
Trout shipped to the Highland
Farm Dairy, which sells milk over the
counter at 10 cents quart. the lowest
price recorded here.
Another independent producer, but
one whose views about drought DAM
age and the necessity for higher
price to farmers coincided with those
of the cooperative association. was
DR.. F. w. Huddleston, who operates a
large farm in Fairfax County. Va,
and has been shipping milk to WASH
ington for more than a quarter of
century.
I'VE are not getting q price ccrr-
mensurate with the quality Of the
milk consumers buy he said.
DR.. Huddleston praised the present
health regulations. saying it would be
detrimental both to producer and con-
sumer to alter them.
Frank S. Walker, president Of the
Maryland and Virginia Association.
which claims to represent about l,100
of the 1,40O dairy farmers supplying
Washington, said there was a surplus
of milk at present, but that this was
always the case in July and August.
If the Washington market is to be
amply supplied during the rest of the
year when consumption increases. the
production level must be kept up. he
said. Walker testified the Spring
drought practically destroyed the hay
crop.
Alternative of Farmer.
The situation with respect to feed
shortages and prices received by pro-
ducers is so acute, according to j. j.
Ramey, independent producer of Vi
emma, Va, that it would be more prof.
liable for a dairy farmer to sell his
hay and market his COWS as beef. The
same view was taken by A. Lawrence
Leigh, another Vienna independent,
who said it was about all he could do
to meet his debts.
All witnesses we're agreed that Dis
trict health regulations should he