The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-12-12
FEDERAL MILK HEARING
COMPLETED

The Federal-State Hearing to con-
slider joint regulation of the Phila-
delphia market by the Dairy Division
of the u. S. D. A. and the Pennsyl-
vania Milk Control Commission ad-
iourned on December after being
in session 10 days. The hearing was
originally called on October % and
met Internationally until it's closing
last week.
This hearing was held upon petit
ton of Interstate Milk Producers
Cooperative which asked for joint
control in order to:--(1) Secure uni
form prices for milk used in the
same classes whether produced with
in or outside Pennsylvania; (2) In
crease prices to levels in line with
present increased costs of produc-
ton and (3) Obtain uniform and
strict enforcement of prices set for
producers.
Testimony placed upon the hear
ing record required approximately
5000 typewriter pages in addition
to several hundred exhibits of
charts, tabulations, maps and other
supplementary material.
Interstate, in it's request to the
Dairy Division for this hearing, pro-
posed a Glass I price of 1910 and
formulate for Glasses III and III
which would return producers about
1856 and $1.73, respectively, per
hundred pounds. These prices are
for percent milk, +. o. b. the mar
ket, and were based upon a combina-
ton of the cost of producing milk
as determined from extensive studies
and surveys, and its present COM
petitive value.
With the possibility that the pro-
posed State order increasing the
Class I price to producers by %
cents may not Immediately mater
ialize, the hearing just closed be-
comes of even greater Importance
and makes prompt action on it more
urgent than ever. A prevue of this
proposed order of the Pennsylvania
Milk Control Commission was held
by Attorney General Reno on Octob-
or FL and following conference on
the subject with Governor James
and Control officials, it was stated
that no decision had been reached
but further conferences would be
held.
In commenting ON this decision,
Interstate officials reiterated their
1fn <ol 0f h0
prevue at which they insisted that
1.-THE prices for the several classes
are all lower than the prices which
Interstate feels necessary to re-
turn the producers even cost of
production :"
However, in view of the very
serious necessity for an immediate
increased return to the producers
supplying the Philada. area, we re 4
quest that this order be put into
effect at the earliest date possible
and the ineQuities which we believe
to exist be corrected by amendment
or otherwise in accordance with the
testimony being placed on the record
of the hearing now being conducted
in Philadelphia.
1t is estimated that the average
producer would obtain an increased
return Of SITS to $1.0O per day
should the proposals made by Inter
State at the Federal Hearing become
effective. This increased income, of
course, would be Immediately re-
dected in the local trade Of every
rural community from which milk
is sent to Philada.
With the closing Of the hearing,
the next step is the preparation Of a
Order by the Secretary Of
Agriculture which will then be sub
mitted to interested particles. follow
ing which 9 dnal draft win be
made and presented to producers for
their approval. On this vote 76l
percent majority n tho votes cast
W. Il