Evening star., 1939-05-05
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Lack of funds may cause an abrupt
end to the investigation of the
Washington milk situation, 1t was
intimated today by Chairman Bates
of the Public Health Subcommittee
of the House District Committee
conducting the inquiry.
obviously, If we are to do a
finished job, we have just got to
have some more money" declared
Representative Bates. otherwise,
the investigation will be so incom-
plete, somebody will say we smoth-
cred it."
Underway only three days, Mr..
Bates discovered the inquiry Is
rapidly eating into the $2,500 ap-
preparation the House appropriated
to finance it.
The $2,500 was provided to pay the
salaries of an attorney, an investi-
gator, a, secretary and saiu@dental
expenses. But Mr.. Bates said he
did not know it also was to include
the fees Of the official stenographer,
which are now amounting to between
$50 and $50 a day.
"At the rate the money Is going
now, it won't last long," he declared.
More Funds to Be Asked.
At the outset of the investigation
it was believed public hearings would
not continue for more than 10 days
or two weeks, but the investigating
committee has not yet completed
examination of witnesses 1t expected
to hear the first day.
Representative Bates said he
would appeal to the House for an
additional appropriation so the COM
mittee can do a complete Job"
The District Committee originally
recommended an appropriation of
$4,000 to finance the inquiry. The
Accounts Committee, however, fig
ured that $500 would be sufncient,
and that is the amount the House
appropriated.
Quizzed on Regulations.
Leslie Carl Frank, senior sanitary
engineer of the United States Pub
lie Health Service, today completed
his testimony before the Investigate
ing group. He spent more than an
hour and half on the witness stand
answering a barrage of questions re-
lating to the District milk regula-
tions and the milk code of the Pub
lie Health Service.
Mr.. Frank was subjected to a
steady cross examination by John
S. Barbour, counsel for the Mary
land-Virginia Milk Producers As
ISOLATION; Seton Darr, counsel for
the Fairfax Embassy Dairy; Elwood
H. Seal, Corporation Counsel, and
j. Edward Burroughs, jr., special
counsel for the committee.
The questions concerned chiefly
sanitary conditions on dairy farms
and medical examinations of dairy
farm employees. Mr.. Frank said
health examinations of the en-
ployes were helpful to minor de-
gree, but of questionable value, be-
cause of efforts made by some en-
playes to cheat on the tests.
Cites Averages.
Mr.. Frank, in his opening testi-
mony yesterday, had included WASH
ington in the Middle Atlantic region
for the purpose of comparing retail
milk prices. At that time he said
the average in the region was 144
cents a quart, whereas the price in
the District is IA cents.
Today, however, he said that
Washington should have been in
cluded in the South Atlantic region,
where the average price in 1886 was
1875 cents a quart. The retail price
in the District at that time, accord
ing to B. B. Derrick, secretary-treas-
urer Of the Maryland-virginia Milk
Producers Association was 13 cents
quart.
The committee adjourned the in
quiry shortly before o'clock until
Monday at 1:30 pm.
The committee completed its
three-day examination late yester-
day Of DR.. Reid r.. Ashworth, di-
rector of the food inspection division
of the District Health Department,
and began questioning Leslie Carl
Frank, senior sanitary engineer Of
the United States Public Health
Service.
The highlight Of his testimony was
that the retail price of high-grade
pasteur1zed milk in Washington Is
slightly lower than the average in
other cities over 00,000 population
in the Middle Atlantic region.
Mr.. Frank told the COMMITTEES the
average price In the Middle Atlantic
region is 144 cents q quart. The
retail price In Washington Is IA
cents q quart.
The average price in cities OF
500, or more throughout the
United States, however, he said. u
1873 . quart.