Evening star., 1939-03-07
Seal Prepares
More Stringent
Milk Laws
Smith Presses House
/ For Action on Bill
Calling for Inquiry

SuIllH9 IoI IHquIIy
Immediate action to curb any
shipments of unlicensed milk and
cream into the District was assured
today as Representative Smith.
Democrat, of Virginia, announced
he would press the House Rules
Committee to act swiftly on his res
olution directing a sweeping investi-
cation of the local milk situation,
and Corporation Counsel Elwood
Seal prepared to place before the
Commissioners revised and more
stringent milk code.
Mr.. Smith is one of the ranking
majority members of the Rules
Committee His resolution, intro
duced late yesterday, was drawn up
following seizure by police Saturday
night of $500 gallons of cream,
alleged to be unlicensed at the ga
rage of the Embassy-Fairfax Dairy
in the 1900 block of First street NV.
Revision of the Milk Act of 1925
to be presented by Mr.. Seal is
understood to include provisions re-
quiring local dairy operators to fur
nish detailed information on all
milk and cream shipments coming
into the District and more severe
penalties for violation of several Sec
tions of the existing regulations,
which now call for a first ofenSe
fine of $40 following Police Court
conviction.
Ward Issues Statement.
Meanwhile, John J. Ward, presi-
dent of Embassy Fairfax, charged
early Sunday on four separate
counts of violating the milk act,
issued a statement through his at
torney, Seton Darr, in which he
said that "all of the milk, cream
and dairy products sold by these
diaries to the public of Washington
are absolutely pure and wholesome
and fully comply with the health
regulations of the Health Depart
ment."
Mr.. Ward and Pinkey Alexander,
colored. an employe of the dairy,
were released on bond and the truck
driver was held in bond as Gov
ernment witness. All others ar
rested in the case were released
unconditionally.
Among those released Sunday fol-
lowing their arrest for investigation
were John Elmer Kreis, 81, of West
gate, Md, garage superintendent at
the dairy, and Charles Clifford
Grose, 20, of Lafayette, Ind. Max
Foster, 81, mechanic, was released
a few hours after he was booked at
No. l precinct station for investi-
cation.
The truck seized at Mr.. Wards
plant was allegedly trailed from the
Middle West by four local police
officers.
Although Representative Smiths
resolution Is aimed primarily at the
Importation of so-called bootleg"
milk and cream in Washington, it is
broad in its scope and would give the
investigating committee authority to
deive into various ramif1cations of
the milk industry. It specifically
directs that the following five points
be determined:
IL 4llC oO0ASO oAANA Pu4AG Va VIC
Districts milk and cream supply.
2. The extent of violations of the
law or local regulations with re-
spect to the importation of milk
or cream.
3. The possible effect upon the
health of the community by reason
of unlawful importation Of unli-
yeoi1l/
4. The extent, If any, to which
cream for ice cream is being di-
verted unlawfully to milk or cream
for fluid consumption.
5. Whether any conspiracy exists
on the part of any distributor OF
any dairy products to violate the
provisions of the 1925 District Milk
Act.
The resolution also authorizes the
investigating committee to call on
any Federal or District agency for
assistance and requires that re-
port on the result of the inquiry,
together with recommendations, be
submitted to the House "at the
earliest possible date"
Mr.. Wards Statement.
Mr.. Wards statement, in full, fol-
lows:
"As president of the Embassy
Dairy and the Fairfax-Farms Dairy,
both of Washington, want to state
In most emphatic terms that all Of
the milk, cream and dairy products
sold by these dairies to the public Of
Washington are absolutely pure and
wholesome and fully comply with
the health regulations of the Health
Department.
Il should like to impress the fact
that both these dairy plants are
regularly inspected by the Health
Department, and are at all times
open for such inspection. The pub
lie is now, and always has been, most
welcome to visit either or both of
these plants and see for themselves
the great care and caution we use
in handling dairy products. and also
to see the thorough sanitary condi-
tions under which the milk and
cream are processed. Regular tests
are made by the laboratory Of the
District of Columbia Health Depart
ment of milk and cream which we
sell to the Washington public. These
laboratory tests show conclusively
that our products are wholesome
and nutritious and of high grade
Says All Under Inspection.
Both the Fairfax-Farms Dairy
and the Embassy Dairy buy milk d.
rect from farmers in Maryland, Vir-
ginia and West Virginia, all of whose
farms are under constant inspection
and supervision of District of Co.
lumbia health inspectors. The barns
In which the cows are housed and
MIXED are kept scrupulously clean
ut all times, and the cows are given
the best of care. We wish that II
were possible for the public Of Wash
ington to see the farms, all licensed
by the District Of Columbia, which
ship milk to us.