Evening star., 1939-05-18
Dairy Police
Difficulties
Told Probers
3 to 5 Men Needed
Constantly, Says
Inspector

The Health Department would
have to keep from 3 to inspectors
In dairy plants at all times ade-
quately to police them, Charles C.
Staub, one of the inspectors, testified
today before the House committee
investigating the District milk sit
uation.
Mr.. Staub also recounted to the
committee some of his experiences
in checking importation into Wash
ington of so-called bootleg" or un-
licensed, cream. He made particular
reference to case of a large board
ing house on Sixteenth street NV,
which had been purchasing milk
and cream direct from a farm in
nearby Maryland which was not
licensed to ship into the District. A
meteorological analysis of sample
OF this milk and cream, he said re-
Vealed that 1t contained 100000
bacteria per cubic centimeter, or 80
times in excess of the amount per-
mitted Under local health regula-
tions.
Other witnesses heard by the COM
mlttee included Thomas w. Eber-
hart, an employe of the Department
OF Agriculture, who operates a dairy
farm near Charles Town, w. Va, and
John A. Wilson, an official of a
dairy products corporation in Alex
endrla, Va. After Mr. Wilson teS-
titled the committee adjourned the
hearing until either Monday or Tues
day.
Questioned About Letter.
Mr.. Eberhart was questioned par
tlcularly about letter he wrote to
four OF the committee members
Representatives Randolph of West
Virginia and Schultz of Indiana,
Democrats, and Dirksen of Illinois
and Shafer of Michigan, REPUBLICANS
complaining about the stringent
milk producing regulations in the
Washington milkshed
Examination of Mr. Eberhart by
Chairman Bates, and J. Edward
Burroughs, jr., committee counsel
disclosed the letters were typed in
the Office of the House District Com
mittee.
Representative Schultz, Democrat,
OF Indiana, member of the COM
mlttee, indicated today he proposed
to ask the Justice Department to
make an investigation of the alleged
'monopolistic control" Of the Wash
ington milk market.
Points to "Rumors."
"In view of the numerous rumors
spread around this milkshed," he
declared, Il believe it behooves the
committee to call on the Attorney
General to make an investigation
to clarity the situation. If the COM
mlttee doesn't do it, think I will"
Mr.. Schultz first suggested a De-
partment of Justice investigation
yesterday while the committee was
taking the testimony of DR.. Frede-
rick c. Howe, former consumers
counsel of the Agricultural Adjust
ment Administration. He asked DR..
Howe what he thought of the idea
ut wouldn't hurt" the witness
replied.
DR.. Howe suggested adoption of a
plan for treating milk as quasi
public utility similar to methods fol-
lowed in most European countries
a plan, he said, that would make
possible or 10 cent quart of milk
in Washington. The District, under
the plan, would control both the
production and pasteurization of
milk and fix the price to be paid
the dairy farmer.
Bootlegging Admitted.
Ralph A. Lee, who is connected
with the Lee Dairy Products Corp,
in Rosslyn, Va, amused the commit
tee by frankly admitting he ''boot-
legs" cream originating in Indiana
because of the "unenforceable" pro-
visions in the 1925 District Milk
Control Act
I'm bootlegging right now" he
declared.
He further declared he had pur-
chased cream for three and half
years from the Maryland Virginia
Milk Producers Association, a part
of which came from producers in
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