Evening star., 1942-03-03

Oppose Higher
Milk Prices
Young Addresses
Northeastern Dairy
Conference

Admitting that the price of milk
to District consumers may have
to go up" Commissioner Young
said today the city heads are
strongly opposed to any increase.
II am convinced that the pubiic
interests must be protected" Mr..
Young told delegates to the North
eastern Dairy Conference at their
opening session in the Ambassador
Hotel. He added that District of
flcials have not been shown any
reason for the milk price increase.
Milk producers in the Washing
ton milkshed have petitioned the
Agriculture Department for an in
crease in price of milk they deliver
to dairies here. The recent hearing
on the petition met strong opposi-
ton from various groups.
Confusion Assailed.
Confusion and inefficiency in agri-
cultural defense work were hit by
DR.. r. B. Corbett of College Park,
Nd, president of the conference,
in his annual report to the delegates
representing dairymen In l3 Eastern
seaboard States.
Two many organizations are at
tempting TO assume the leadership
for agricultural defense work" de-
clared DR.. Corbett, who is director
of the Maryland Agriculture Expert
mental Station. Better co-opera-
ton might come from the farm
groups up, rather than to come from
Washington down"
The speaker likewise criticized the
lack of representation of agricul-
ture in the Federal defense organ
izations." 1t is felt, he added, that
agriculture should be represented
directly by men from agricultural
organizations. responsible to them.
just as Mr. Hillman and Mr.. Knud-
sen have had responsibility to la
Dor and industry"
Turning to the controversial sub.
ject of parity, DR.. Corbett claimed
that it was a national policy that
rates of wages should go uncon-
trolled while agricultural prices
shall be kept around parity" With
labor free from control and rates OF
wages at about ITS per cent OF
parity, why's agriculture critized
for attempting TO get recognition OF
this situation? he asked.
HfM viii Speak.
Certainly no one can believe
that it is to the national interest
to keep agriculture in disparity
with other parts of our economic
life" he added.
Grover B. Hill, Assistant Secre-
tary of Agriculture, will speak to
the dairymen this afternoon In
place of Secretary Wickard, who
will be engaged in hearing at the
Capitol
Mr.. Hill was expected to discuss the
part dairymen will play in meeting
the 1912 food production goals set
by the Agriculture Department.
Participating in the meeting are
dairymen from West Virginia, Mary
land, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Della
ware, New Jersey, New York, Con-
necticut, Rhode Island, MaSSa-
chusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and
Vermont.
Also scheduled to speak this
afternoon are DR.. r. G. Bress-
Ter, agriculture expert from Provi-
dence, r. l.; T. Roy Brooks.
master of the Maryland State
Grange; c. E. Wise. jr., secretary of
the Maryland Farm Bureau, and
DR.. Meade Ferguson of the Virginia
State Grange.
Brewster Speaks Tonight.
Senator Brewster of Maine will
make the principal address at a
dinner meeting in the hotel tonight.
Ernest Robert Rosse of Philadelphia.
humorist and philosopher, also will
speak. DR.. H. C. Byrd, president Of
the University of Maryland, will
preside.
Morning and afternoon sessions
tomorrow will be devoted to discus
Sions of milk control, farm labor
situation and cattle disease control.
Rcy F. Hendrickson, head of the
Agriculture Marketing Administra-
ton. will speak at the forenoon
meeting.
Frank S. Walker of the Maryland
and Virginia Milk Producers Asso-
citation will preside tomorrow.
n n