Evening star., 1942-07-25
Five-Cent Milk
To Be Dropped
AsCosts Rise
Loss of WPA Work
To Increase Expense
Of Handling

Of Handling
Suspension of the 5-cent-a-quart
relief milk program, on July 81,
was announced last night by We'll
fare Director Conrad Van Hyning
on the basis OF increased costs of
buying and distributing the product.
Announcement of a decision to
this effect was made by Mr.. Van
Hyning after an exchange of let
ters with Roy Hendrickson, agri-
cultural marketing administrator,
IN which it was said the prevail
ing retail milk price would be less
than the buying and distributing
costs of the relief milk.
At Mr.. Van Hyning's Office, it was
emphasized that the abandonment
Of the program will not affect dis
tribution of free milk to needy
pupils in the public schools. This
will be resumed when school opens
for the fall term.
Sees Cost Increase.
Mr.. Van Hyning cited withdrawal
Of WPA employees from the work of
handling the milk at distribution
stations in the city, at the end of
July, would require the Welfare
Board to hire additional personnel
to perform. this task at greatly in
creased cost.
In addition, Mr.. Van Hyning esti-
mated the cost of relief milk would
be 1878 cents per quart within the
30 days beginning August /, and
thereafter would rise to 14.6, as COM
pared with present cost of Ills.
Under the welfare program, which
has been In operation since August,
1910. relief clients pay S cents
quart for milk and the Agricultural
Marketing Administration pays the
remainder Of the cost. At present
the ANA payment is 6 cents quart.
The WPA furnishes labor for distri-
button of the milk at ii stations
operated by the Welfare Board.
During July, l,100 relief clients had
been buying milk at the rate of
5000 quarts daily.
Cites Personnel Scarcity.
I'm view of the difficulties in set
ting up positions to administer this
program, on three-month basis.
at q time when personnel of any
kind is difficult to secure on a per-
manent basis, our recommendation
Is that the program be suspended as
Of July 3d." Mr.. Van Hyning said.
The program has been particu-
larly beneficial to our relief clients,
as 1t represents one way by which
the limited relief we are permitted
to give within the law may be
stretched as far as possible. How
ever, we do not believe it is eco
nomically sound to continue distri-
button through this method at a
greater total cost than the same
milk can be purchased at retail
stores"
Abandonment of the program was
characterized by Mrs. Carl j. +.
OrAff Of $500 Woodley road NV. as
tragic"
Declaring she believed that many
volunteer workers would be willing
to take over tasks at the IL distri-
button centers, If that would help to
restore the scent milk, she offered
to help get together a group of
volunteer women for the purpose.
There are any number of women
IN washington" she said, who
vouldsbe willing to do this work"
Hendrickson Concurs.
Mr.. Hendrickson concurred with
Mr.. Van Hyning in the proposal to
suspend the relief milk program.
"As you know" he wrote to Mr..
Van Hyning, I'VE have been en-
countering increasing difficulty in
continuing the operation of the pro-
gram. First, our unit costs have
increased from 81 cents per quart
during the first month of operation
august, 1o4O to cents during the
current month.
Second. since October, 1910, only
one handler has been willing to
submit bid for supplying milk to
most of the stations.
Third, the growing demand for
huid milk in the District has in
creased the problem of supplying
milk to the distributing stations.
Program Revised This Month.
THE program was revised this
month in an effort to induce a
large number of handlers to par
ticipate in it. Handlers were re-
leved of the requirement of pro-
viding representatives at distribut-
ing stations to sell the milk to the
relief clients. Notwithstanding this
change, only one handler submitted
a bid for of the IL stations, and
this bid has since been protested
by him. AS you indicate in your
letter, the handler claims that he
intended to bid 535 cents per quart,
instead of 35 cents"
In suspending the program July
II. Mr.. Hendrickson suggested that
when conditions become more
favorable we examine the posi-
bilities Of re-establishing the pro-
gram as it has been in operation
heretofore, or of formulating a new
basis of operation"