Evening star., 1941-06-28
Nearby Virginia
Milk Decision
Seen July 70
RetuiI Price Involved
In Alexandra and
Arlington Area
B, A staff Correspondent OF me star

BY Staff Correspondent OF The star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, June 28.-
Consumers in the Arlington Alex
andria market area will have to wait
until about July 20 to learn whether
the retail milk price is to be in
creased, it was indicated today fol-
lowing a public hearing conducted
by the State Milk Commission on a
proposed increase in prices paid to
producers.
Chairman N. J. Webb said the
record of the hearing would not be
completed until about the middle OF
July because ipteres ed parties had
been granted % days to file briefs
in support of factual testimony pre-
sented at the hearing held yeSter-
day in the City Council chamber
mere. He expects the commission
to be ready with its decision around
July 20.
On the basis Of arguments offered
by producers, distributors and con-
sumers at the hearing, the milk
commission will decide whether to
grant the -per-hundred
weight indease requested by the
Maryland Virginia Milk Producers
Association for class l fluid milk
supplied by producers. and whether
the increase, if granted. shall be
absorbed by the distributor or paid
by the consumer.
Has Retail Price Control.
Unlike the Federal marketing or
der governing the handling of milk
in the Washington market, the reg
ulatory power of the Virginia MIX
Commission extends to the fixing
of retail prices 10 be charged by the
distributors. as well as the price
paid by the handlers to the farmers
who supply the milk.
The chief opposition TO the pro-
posed increase came from Harold
A. Serr, chairman of the Arlington
Alexandria Milk Consumers Com
mittee, who told the hearing that
If the request is granted, the
hundredweight price will be 25 cents
greater than in any other market
dIbd liiIluucb III AIlN NbNl a. MAJ nv
ing service reports.
Summarizing the committees posi-
ton. Mr.. Serr declared that an in
crease for products is neither neces-
sary nor justified at the present
time. He added he believed milk
should be made available al lower
price for relief program and for
a school milk program for needy
children.
Claims Reduction Profitable.
During the last year. Mr.. Serr
testified. 100 new producers have
entered this market, indicating, he
said, that producers are making
sufficient profits In this same per-
iod, he added, production has in
creased 81 per cent.
If there is a shortage OF milk. It
is because of the restrictions on
production enforced by the Mary
Virginia Milk Producers As
sociation, the District Health De-
partment and the State MIX Com
mission Mr.. Serr charged. He
urged the commission to discontinue
its retail price fixing so that the
distributors could fix their own
prices. He said the price-fXlng
regulations also should be amended
to provide for relief milk at cents
per Quart and school milk at one
cent per half-pint.
M. H. BurchelI, president OF the
Alexandria Dairy. declared that II
the increase is granted. 1t should be
borne bv the consumer and not the
distributor. He said handlers have
been burdened with increase costs in
recent months.
Wage Factor Cited.
Maurice V. Dawson. production
manager Of Chestnut Farms-CheVy
Chase Dairy. which serves the Arl-
ington- n-Alexandria market, also cited
increased costs of supplies and IN
creased wages in contending that
the distributor should not be forced
to bear any increase in the price TO
consumers.
He urged the commission not to
grant an increase in excess OF 80
cents per hundredweight. declaring
that even that amount of increase
would necessitate a one-cent-per-
quart rise in the retail price to con-
sumers. Mr.. Dawson said ii would
not be fair to the Milk Commission
to recognize the increasing costs of
producers and not to recognize SIM
liar increases felt by distributors.
B. B. Derrick, secretary-treasurer
of the Milk Producers Association,
presented arguments for the in
crease. He said producers costs
have been increased tremendously"
by a shortage of pasture and feed
grain caused by the spring drought,
and a shortage of farm labor re-
sulting from higher wages offered
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