Evening star., 1946-03-28
Virginia aSeekine
ToAvert Power
Strike Paralysis
Vepco WoIkout Due
Monday to Affect
Hospitals, Food Supply

SNAAe%oWA Va C3SCIlllAl SeIVlCe
in nearby Virginia, including lack {
water for approximately 1000 Fal
Church residents, is in prospect q
result of the threatened powe
strike OF Virginia Electric & Powe
Co. workers set for midnight Sun
day.
Operation of Northern Virgini
dairy farms, which supply almos
half of the milk consumed in tn
washington area, would be cripple
while officials of the Alexandria an
Arlington Hospitals said the threat
ened power shutdown would be "dis
astrous" to their institutions.
In addition, several thousand fam
lilies ip Northern Virginia run tn
risk OF losing valuable meat an
other food in cold storage lockers i
FAIRFAX, LeeSburg, Warrenton an
several other communities.
Small Area Unaffected.
The only Northern Virginia are,
that would remain unaffected woul,
be that portion of Arlington Count,
east OF Court House road and nortl
OF Columbia pike, which is supplied
by the Braddock Light g. Power Co.
a subsidiary of the Potomac Electri,
Power Co.
Meanwhile, representatives of tn,
international Brotherhood of Elec.
trical Workers have notified Gov
Tuck it would be impossible to com.
ply with his request for a decisive
answer by noon today as to whether
the union members would CO.
operate voluntarily with the State,
operation of the utility system ir
event of strike.
The Governor had wired the
unions representatives askins
whether Vepco employees "woule
work at their respective essentia
stations, for the Commonwealth
under the same wages and labo,
conditions now prevailing"
j. G. Mcintosh, international rep.
fesentative of the IBEW, informed
the Governor he had relayed copies
OF the request to officials of the
eight union locals involved for pres.
entation to the members. He
promised to advise Gov. Tuck "o1
the outcome at the earliest oppor.
tunity."
Hits Falls Church Water.
Mrs. Helen M. Lester, clerk of the
Falls Church Town Council, said
lack OF power would cut off the
water supply for nearly 1000 Gus
toners in that town. Most of the
water supply is pumped electrically
from the Arlington system. while
the balance is pumped from local
wells.
Arlington's water system would
not be seriously affected because it
draws most of its supply from Wash
lngton. However its over-taxed
sewage disposal plant at Four Mile
run would be shut down entirely.
Police Chief Harry woodward of
Arlington said he would issue spe-
clal instructions to his force to
exert extra precautions during any
enforced blackout to guard against
burglary of residences and stores
The county police radio system is
not endangered, however, as the
local Vepco office has given assur-
ances that power will be delivered
regardless Of strike.
However, officials at the Vepco
Office in Arlington said they would
be unable to provide the same
emergency service for Arlington
Hospital, where efforts are being
made to obtain portable auxiliary
power supplies from the Govern
ment.
Robert G. Whitton, administrator
of Alexandria General Hospital, said
the hospital had provided for an
emergency supply" by drawing
from two separate lines, but that
both are fed from the same source
Vepco-and therefore many essen.
tial activities would be curtailed O,
stopped entirely. He said the boilers
could not be fired without electricity
thus preventing sterilization of hos.
pital instruments. Preparation Of
food would be curtailed and refrig-
Grafton would be shut off.
F. Mr.. Whitton also is NEGOTIATING
with several sources, including thu
Army, in an attempt to acquire 9
portable generator to supply mini.
mum needs.
Milk Problem Serious.
B. B. Derrick, manager of the
Maryland-V Virginia Milk Producers
Association, indicated the serious.
ness OF the situation with respect tt
that industry. Virginia supple:
about half the total to the Wash.
1ngton market area, its share beins
about $4,000 gallons daily, he said.
He estimated about half of thi:
amount would be entirely unsuitable
Tor consumption, owing to lack o1
refrigeration which in itself woulc
violate District Health Department
regulations. OF approximately 70(
dairy farms in the association ir
virginia, comprising practically al
OF the suppliers for Washington
some require trucking hauls up te
l82 miles. BY the time the product
reaches Washington it would be
soured for lack of preceding treat.
ment, Mr.. Derrick said.
Larry Green, Fairfax Count,
agent, estimated SO to 100 per cen1
of the dairy farms in that count,
are partially or completely electri.
ned. In many cases the water TO,
consumption by livestock is pumped
by electricity as well as being usec
as refrigerant through electrical,
8 operated cooling devices, he said.
5 Pointing to the current farm labo,
shortage which poses an acut.
problem everywhere, Mr.. Green sale
9 inability to use power milking ma.
chines-which 95 per cent of the
county dairy farms employ-woulc
cripple the industry. Machines car
mnk about so cows in two hour,
where three units are EMPLOYED hf
! said, while he estimated not more
than 16 could be hand stripped b,
one worker during the same period
Storage Stocks Threatened.
j. c. Moore, manager of tn,
Southern States Cooperative locke,
plant at Fairfax, said he alread,
has stopped taking additional meaI
and is preparing to meet the emer.
gency for a possible weeks sh,,t,