Evening star., 1939-06-18
BY HAROLD B. ROGERS.

Attacked last night by Health
Officer George c. Rutland, the
Schultz bill to open the Washington
mllkshed to outsiders-and substi-
tute the Federal milk code for that
OF the District, will go before the
full House District Committee to-
morrow with prospects of lively con-
troversv
DR.. Rutland took sharp excep-
ton to that part of the Schultz bill
which would change the milk code.
To put the regulations of the United
States Public Health Service into
effect in the Washington milkshed,
DR.. Ruhland declared, would be
distinctly regrettable."
The Schultz bill, with its proposed
change in the code tackled on as an
amendment. received approval of
the House Milk Investigating Com
mittee yesterday at session in
which Representative Schultz, De.
mocrat, OF Indiana, upset the plans
OF Representative Bates, Democrat,
OF Kentucky, chairman of the
group.
Board Proposal Eliminated.
Chairman Bates had hoped the
subcommittee would approve a re-
port on the milk situation strongly
opposing the suggested opening Of
the milkshed, and setting up a new
milk board to fix and control prices.
When the subcommittee met,
however, this report was revised to
eliminate its principle proposal for
the new milk board Instead the
committee recommended remedial
legislation to correct the present
unsatisfactory conditions"
With four members approving,
the committee then reported the
Schultz bill, with tive amendments.
The first would substitute the Fed
eral for the District milk code here.
The second would provide that pro-
ducers of milk shipped in from out
side must be inspected by District
inspectors sent from Washington.
Attacking the Schultz bill pro-
posal for a change in the milk code
here, DR.. Rutland said the Public
Health Service code was quite
ideal' for those communities which
have not yet developed a high grade
of milk in universal usage, but the
situation here, is different"
Sees Enforcement Difficulties.
He said it was his understanding
that under the U. S. Public Health
Service code there were three grades
of milk, classified as to bacterial
count, and that the ultimate objec-
tive was to encourage dealers to use
grade A by rating them as to the
quality of milk they handle.
DR.. Rutland declared 1t would be
virtually impossible" for his in
spectors to make an effective check
up from day to day as to whether
any of the dealers handling more
than one grade of milk we're sub
stituting lower grades for grade A
milk. Certainly, he said. there
would be greatly increased difficult
ties of enforcement.
AS to the retail cost Of milk. DR..
Rutland said that 'manifestly" is
concern beyond the jurisdiction
of the Health Department, being
an economic matter. However, he
said it did appear that the cost
might be reduced if there could be
a pooling of the processing and dis
tribution activities by milk con-
Germs, which would effect savings
that could be passed along to the
consumer.
Asked about the proposal to open
the District market to milk i'm
ported from other Jurisdictions, DR..
Rutland said it was questionable
whether this plan would get better
milk for Washington.
The House District Committee
already is widely divided over the
proposal to open the local market
to outside milk In former draft,
the Schultz bill, was laid on the
table last Monday by the District
(See MILK, Page A-14)