Evening star., 1939-05-24
Dairy Farmers
Oppose Schultz
Milk Bill
only the Consumer
Could Possibly
Benefit Says One

Dairy farmers from Maryland and
Virginia appeared at a hearing in
the House District Committee room
at the Capitol today to oppose the
Schultz bill, which would open the
District market to milk producers
outside the local milkshed.
The hearings this morning were
conducted by Representative Sand
ager, Republican, of Rhode Island,
in the absence of Representative
Schultz, Democrat, of Indiana. who
was attending a meeting of the
House immigration Committee. The
hearing could not be started until
witnesses were rounded up from the
competitive milk hearing being con-
Quoted by a special investigating
subcommittee of the House District
Committee.
The first witness to appear was
Horace L. Gregg of Hamilton, Lou
doun County, Va. Mr.. Gregg, a
dairy farmer, said he shipped 10
or 80 gallons of milk, for which he
received about "a or 25 cents a GAL
Ion net. Asked his opinion on the
Schultz bill, which would allow
shipment into the District by milk
producers in any part of the United
States, who had been inspected by
State or local milk officers. Mr..
Gregg said:
Naturally, I am opposed to this
bill. The people of Washington at
present are getting high grade of
milk. There is plenty of milk in
this shed to supply the District. I
can't see how this bill will help any
one.
Only the Consumer Will Benefit
The Western shippers will find
different conditions here when their
milk reaches the market, because we
will not relinquish this market. Only
the consumer could possibly benefit,
by reduction in the price of milk
but will find that the quality of this
milk will not be uniform.
Another point I want to bring out
is that the Western inspectors, in
looking over the dairies in their area,
will know that the milk produced
there is not intended for their own
people"
Mr.. Sandager asked the farmer if
he did not think that the spread
between the cents a quart he re-
celved for the milk and the IA cents
a quart the consumer paid was quite
large"
Yes, it seems quite large" the
farmer said, but I don't know much
about that and 1 don't think it's a
good idea to talk about things you
don't understand.
Scent Price Held Minimum.
DO you think it is profitable to
produce milk at cents quartz" the
Congressman asked.
L don't see how the farmer could
DO 1t for any less" Mr.. Gregg re-
piled.
He was followed to the witness
chair by Giles H. Miller, jr., of
Culpeper, Va, cashier of the Cul-
peper National Bank. Mr.. Miller.
too, announced his opposition to the
Schultz measure. Explaining this.
he said:
We have been principally a dairy
section. These farmers have been
put to considerable expense to meet
the DISTRICTS stringent health re-
qulrementS. Should this bill pass.
1t would seem to me to allow prod
ucts to come into competition with
our men and would reduce the
standards which have been built up
by the District over long period.
TWo-thirds of the milk producers
IN our section are still in debt as a
result OF improvements they have
made on their farms to meet the
Districts requirements. Passage of
this bill would disturb a section of
the country which for 10 or 20 years
has been specializing in the dairy
products field"
Improper Protection Seen.
Otto w. Anderson of Gaithersburg,
Nd, testified that he was opposso
to the bill because he believed it
failed to give the District proper
health protection.
we have found in Maryland that
State inspection was too lax. MilF
was sold in the town of Rockville.
for instance, for years without t.b.
tests. don't see how under State
inspection the District consumers
could possibly be protected"
The Schultz hearings opened yes
terday as a sort of "rump session"
OF the subcommittee investigating
the District milk situation. Mr..
Schultz yesterday was involved in
heated argument with Corporation
Counsel Elwood Seal at the invesC:-
eating committee hearing, and left
the hearing short time later to be-
gin taking testimony on his own bill.
The Schultz hearings were sched-
uled to continue this afternoon and
possibly tonight.
j. j. Ramey, dairy farmer of
Vienna, Va, who ships about go GAL
Ions OF milk day and who is not a
member of the Maryland-V Virginia
Milk Producers Associa ton, de-
clared his opposition to the measure
~ ShPAaaiCd GlldU llC t1du SDCIlU a
lot of money to meet the District
health requirements and feared that
passage of bill would ruin him.
Too Great Spread Seen.
Representative Smith, Democrat,
OF Virginia, who came to the hear
ing some time after it started, uues-
toned Mr.. Ramey at some length
The Representative asked him what
would happen if local farmers
shipped their surplus milk to In
dianapolis, Ind, to compete with the
producers in Mr.. Schulte's district.
1T would ruin those farmers" Mr..
Ramey declared.
The farmer said that he thought
there was entirely too great.
spread" between the price he re-
ceived for milk and the price
charged the consumer.
1T is costing too much to dis
tribute milk Something is. wrong
somewhere" he said
G. E. Griffith of Brandy, Va, tes-