Evening star., 1941-08-26
Milk Producers
Approve 1-Cent
Boost in Price
Increase Can Be Put
Into Effect Without
Handlers Assent

Handlers Assent
The Maryland and Virginia Milk
Producers Association today ap-
proved proposal to boost the price
Of milk in the District area by l
cent a quart.
The Board of Directors of the
association. at a special meeting
this morning, approved the amend
ment to the Federal marketing or
der which was proposed by Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wickard.
This action means that the price
increase can be put into effect
whether the milk handlers of this
area vote for it or not If the
milk handlers, who are preparing
to ballot on the question, vote
against it the order can be sent to
the President for signature at his
discretion.
c. I. Dunn, milk market admin
istrator, said the ballots had to be
returned to him at 1871 1 street
NV, postmarked not later than
August 80. They were sent to 1857
farmers who produce milk for this
area. Under the law two-thirds of
the producers and handlers of at
least half of the milk. in the area
must approve the proposed change.
If the producers favor the change,
however, and the necessary handler
signatures are not given. the change
may still be made effective through
presidential approval.
Henderson Opposes Increases.
Opponents of the rise based their
hopes mainly on the fact that Fed
eral Price Administrator Leon Hen
derson is on record as opposing in
creases in milk prices in the District
If the higher cost would be passed
on to the consumer
1t was learned today that Mr..
Henderson's position, voiced in a
letter to Secretary Wickard in late
June, is unchanged. At that time
he viewed with concern" the sug-
gested price boost unless it was found
necessary to maintain this areas milk
supply. He recommended that dairy
herds be enlarged to take fullest
advantage of relatively favorable"
wholesale prices.
Meanwhile Representative Schultz.
Democrat, of Indiana announced
that he will hold public hearing
next week on his bill to permit i'm
portation of cream into the District
from outside the Washington milk
shed. provided it meets the pro-
visions of the United States Public
Health Service milk ordinance.
This will be in advance of hear
ing on the same bill called by the
Commissioners for September %.
DairIes Forecast Increase.
Shortly after the Agriculture De-
partment announced its approval
of the price increase and other
amendments, officials of the major
diaries here declared that the rise
in the price they must pay produc-
! cent per quart to consumers.
They indicated also that the con-
sumner price for cream would be
boosted One dairy official said his
firm probably would jump the cream
price l cent per half pint, but an
other declared a 2-cent-per- half
pint increase might be necessary.
The plan announced by Secretary
Wickard would increase the mini
mum producer price for class l
(f1uidO milk by 40 cents per hun
dredweight, and the class 2 fluid
cream price by 20 cents. The class
3 price would remain unchanged.
This would place the minimum
prices for milk delivered to handlers
in the District at $3.57 a hundred
weight for class ! milk and $2.10
q hundred pounds for class 2. For
milk delivered to handlers in near
by Maryland, the class price would
be s3.11 hundred pounds and the
class 2 price s187.
Affects Needy Families.
Glass l milk used for relief also
would be increased, advancing from
the present minimum price of
$780, to $780, for deliveries
either to District or Maryland
handlers. Presumably, this will
mean an increase in the present
price of 5-cent-per-quart paid by
needy families in the District, unless
some new arrangement can be
worked out by the District Govern
ment. the Agriculture Department
and the dairies handling the relief |
milk
The long awaited decision by
Secretary Wickard came exactly
two months after completion of a
public hearing by the Agriculture
on the proposed in
crease and other suggested amend
ments. The Maryland Virginia
Milk Producers Association had re-
quested an increase of 46 cents in
the producer price for class l milk,
but had not sought any change in
the class 2 or class prices.
Other amendments in the revised |
milk marketing order would Cd |
place all milk otherwise unaccount-
ed for In class l, instead of in class |
2 as at present; (2) remove provi- |
sions under the present order which |!
specify that new producers shall |
receive the lowest class price for |
all their milk for limited period;
go provide for the payment of new
producers on the same basis as old
producers, and a. authorize the
market administrator to designate
an independent laboratory for test
ing the butterfat content of milk.