Evening star., 1941-06-26
Milk Price Data Goes
To Wickard for
Decision on Increase
Henderson Expresses Hope
Boost Can Be Avoided;
Ruling Possible in July

Secretary of Agriculture Wickard
today faced the task of deciding
whether a milk price increase in
Washington is justified now in the
light of a statement by Federal
Price Administrator Henderson eX-
pressing hope the increase would not
be found necessary, and the mass of
arguments developed at a public
hearing completed yesterday.
1t was indicated a decision on the
controversial price issue and other
proposed amendments to the Fed
eral marketing order regulating the
handling of milk here would not be
ready until some time next month
Following completion of the three
day hearing on the amendments late
yesterday, counsel for producers and
dairies serving this marketing area
were given until July to file briefs
In support of their testimony.
Mr.. Henderson's opposition to a
price increase was disclosed shortly
after the hearings ended and was
expressed in a letter to Secretary
Wickard. In the communication,
the price administrator voiced hope
that the Agriculture Department
would rot find it necessary to grant
the requested increase of 46 cents
a hundredweight for this area cor
similar requests elsewhere unless
such action is necessary to main
tenance of supplies"
Suggests Other Means.
Recognizing that dairylnen wish
TO share in the general rise in in
comes, Mr.. Henderson suggested
that they do so through sale of a
larger share of their milk in fluid
form, through increased returns
from surplus milk converted into
manufactured products and through
opportunity to sell larger quantities
of milk, at the relatively favorable
prices to the expanding population
Of the Washington area.
In testimony presented at the
hearings conducted at the Chamber
of Commerce Building, Bruce B.
Derrick, secretary of the
MarylandVirginia Milk Producers
Association, had contended produc-
ers needed the price increase to
enable them to buy feed outside
the area to supplement what they
describe as a shortage resulting
from low rainfall this year, and to
meet higher wages demanded by
farm labor.
Most of the final sessions yeSter-
day we're devoted to discussion of
amendments to the marketing order
which would increase the area
covered by the program, change the
procedure for determining the
Glass III price, delete new pro-
ducer" clauses in the present pro-
gram, provide changes in the clas-
sif1cation of milk purchased by pro-
ducer- distributors, determine guam
tity of Glass I fluid milk on a
butterfat basis, change the period
of time allowed handlers for max
ing their reports to the market ad-
ministrator and for paying pro-
ducers each month and provide for
q market-Wide pool in place of the
present individual handler pool.
Alternative Increase Suggested.
The question of the price in
crease was brought into the final
hearings several times, however.
One witness, Coleman Gore, pro-
duction manager of Embassy
Fairfax Dairy, suggested that 30
cent or 35-cent increase in the
hundredweight price for both Class I
and Glass II fluid cream milk
might be better than a Accent in
crease in Glass I, which he said
would be unfair to milk-users and
"easy" on cream buyers, who could
better afford an increase.
Mr.. Gore declared that, under his
proposal, a 1-cent increase in the
retail price of fluid milk would not
be justified. He said he believed
the price would have to be increased
possibly only one-quarter of cent.