Evening star., 1939-03-14
Milk Inquiry
Awaits Fund
Authorization
Probe Broudened
By Midwest Votes
ln2H-Hour Debate

IN ZR-n0ur Debote
Investigation Of Washington's milk
situation will be started by the
House District Committee as soon
as funds are made available to con-
duct 1t, according to an announce
ment today by Chairman Randolph.
The Accounts Committee will be
asked to provide the money out Of
the House contingent fund No de-
clslon has been reached as to the
amount needed. Representative Ran
dolph said it should be sufficient to
include salaries of lawyer, a spe-
cial investigator and a clerical staff.
The inquiry, ordered by the House
late yesterday when it adopted res
olution sponsored by Representative
Smith. Democrat, Of Virginia, will
be handled by the Subcommittee on
Public Health, Hospitals and Chari-
ties, headed by Representative Bates,
Democrat, of Kentucky. This sub
committee recently completed an
investigation of conditions at Gal
linger Hospital.
Original Proposal Broadened.
Mr.. Smiths resolution was de-
signed primarily to determine the
extent of violations of the 1925 Dis
trlct Milk Control Act and whether
any conspiracy exists on the part of
any distributor of dairy products to
violate this law or the regulations
adopted in accordance with it's pro-
visions. The House, however, amend
ed the resolution at the insistence
OF members from the Middle West
ern dairy belt, aided by a Repub-
lican bloc, to broaden the scope of
the inquiry to include also the feasi-
bility of allowing producers in any
section of the country to ship their
products into Washington under
proper regulation.
Washlngton's existing milkshed,
because of Health Department regu-
lations, is limited chiefly to the milk
producing sections of Maryland, Vir-
ginia and West Virginia.
Mr.. Smith introduced the inquiry
resolution last week, following the
CIedIu seizure.
Charges Fly in Debate.
Charges were hurled during two
and-a-half hour debate on the reso-
luton and proposed amendments
that retail milk and cream prices
are high IN Washington in COMPARE
son with other cities.
| several members, including Repre-
sentative Hull, Progressive, of Wis
consln, insisted the scope of the
inquiry be further broadened to find
out II a conspiracy really exists on
the part OF any dairy organization
10 create monopoly. Mr.. Hull had
prepared an amendment for that
purpose, but was blocked from in
Producing it by Mr.. Smith.
Representative Dirksen, Repub-
lcan, OF Illinois, member of the
District Committee, declared milk
"racketeers" are responsible for high
prices OF milk and cream and that
they should be exposed to the Sum
light OF pitiless publicity" The Smith
resolution, as originally drawn, he
argued, has got as much teeth in
1t as a 2-day-old baby"
The only racket" Mr.. Smith an
swered, involved importation into
Washington of milk and cream in
violation of existing law and regula-
tions.
Mr.. Smith also declared the cur
rent retail price Of IA cents a quart
for grade A milk distributed in
Washington is lower than in MANY
other cities.
Representative Halleck, Repub-
lican, of Indiana led the fight to
broaden the inquiry to include de-
termination of the feasibility of
allowing milk producers outside the
present Washington milkshed to
ship into Washington under proper
regulation. He said it was obvious"
| that one of the objects of Mr..
Smiths original resolution was to
build higher around the District the
barrier that already exists against
the importation of outside" milk or
| cream.
Sasscer Supports Smith.
Representative Sasscer, Democrat,
Of Maryland. making his maiden
speech In the House, supported Mr..
Smiths resolution. He explained
that the 1900 producers now supply
ing Washington with its milk and
cream had spent $7,0O0,OO0 to insure
the purity and quality of their
products, and that there would be
no way of adequately checking milk
coming from outside the present
milkshed.
The purpose of the investigation,
in addition to determining the feasi-
bility of allowing producers out
side" the present milkshed shipping
into Washington, are:
l. To determine the source and
purity of the milk and cream supply
of the District.
2. To determine any violation Of
the law or regulations with respect
to the importation of milk or cream
and the method by which such vio-
lations were perpetrated.
3. To determine the possible effect
on the health of the community by
reason of unlawful importation of
unlicensed milk or cream.
4. To determine whether and to
what extent cream for ice cream
purposes is being diverted unlaw-
fully to milk or cream for fluid
consumption.
5. To determine whether any con-
spiracy exists on the part of any
distributor Of any dairy products to
violate the 1925 District Milk Act.
Given Subpoena Powers.
The resolution gives the Investi-
eating Committee authority to
travel over the entire United States
in conducting the inquiry, to SUBJ
poena witnesses or records and to
call on any District or Federal
agency for assistance.
Before the House began considera-
ton of the Smith resolution, Sena-
tor Wiley, Republican, of Wisconsin,
|