Evening star., 1947-11-02
Milk Price Rise
MalyCauseCut
In School Plan
D. C.: Penny Program
To Be Affected When
Contracts Expire
.Bv Colt HepdIey, Jr.

teONooADlIkOy OiAoO eAAN ~~ASS"> -
penny milk program for public
school children may be curtailed by
the increase in the price of milk,
was raised yesterday by Harry M.
Gardner. administrator Of the Fed
eral milk and lunch aid programs
here
Mr.. Gardner said contracts for
milk under the program will expire
In January. What will happen
then. I can't say" he added. The
price undoubtedly will go up"
Meanwhile, additional retail stores
and dairies were expected to post
higher prices for cream tomorrow
following an increase yesterday of
milk prices, ranging from IA to 2,
cents a quart for milk depending
on whether it is home delivered or
sold in stores. Home-delivered milk
now costs 81 cents quart.
Groceries Increase Price.
Only one large retailer of milk,
Lucerne Milk Co, division OF Safe
way Stores, had not yet announced
an increase in milk prices. Lucerne
milk has been selling in Washing
ton outlets of the chain at II cents
a quart in paper cartons, and 10
cents in nearby Virginia.
A decision on whether to increase
the Washington price Of Lucerne
milk may be forthcoming within
few days. The virginia price of 19
cents is not expected to be changed,
it was said.
Independent grocery stores here,
were selling carton milk yesterday
at 20 cents a quart The old price
was l8 cents, but the retailer is now
charged. an extra cent and half,
and accordingly. many have raised
the price to 20 cents.
Producer Price Raised.
The 115 cent increase charged by
dairies is an outgroWth of a higher
producer price. granted by the Vir-
ginia Milk Commission to Virginia
farmers supplying Alexandria and
Arlington. The producer price rose
generally throughout the Washing
ton area by one cent quart. Dair-
les. in turn, added another half cent
to compensate them for higher labor
and production costs.
Here's what faces the school milk
program. according to Mr.. Gardner:
Interest in the penny milk plan IS
growing More schools are partici-
pating this year-91 compared to
73 last year. Parents have been
putting pressure on the schools to
join the program. Parents interest
grows greater as the price Of milk
increases. School principals must
apply for the aid and many don't.
Schools May Get Less Milk.
Under the present contract with
the dairies, the money allowed the
District for both milk and school
lunch aid, Sl32,725, should be suffl-
cient to take care of all participat-
ing. This contract provides milk for
the schools at $40 cents z
pint bottle. Last year it cost 5
cents.
But what the price will be in
January, when the present con-
tract runs out. is the disturbing
question. If it is too high, the
amount of milk per school will be
cut down.
The milk can be sold to the chill
dren for / cent because the Fed
eral Government. under the Agri-
culture Department lunch and milk
aid program. pays 2 cents of the
cost of bottle. The other 9/10 of
a cent comes out of the $132, ,725
appropriated for the District.
100000 Bottles Served.
About 19,500 children in District
elementary schools are served milk
each day, Mr.. Gardner explained.
Since this years program got under
way on October 6, more than 400,-
900 bottles of milk have been
served.
Last year total of 1888 .608 bot
ties were served over an eight
month period. At the present rate,
the number of. bottles served this
year should be substantially greater,
he said.
There are 10 schools participating
In the school lunch aid program
this year compared to IA last year,
MI. Gardner pointed out. Under
this program, school lunch rooms
are reimbursed up to 9 cents a
meal for lunches meeting standards
set by the Agriculture Department.
The paradox in the situation is
that at the end of the last fiscal
year, the District turned back to
the Federal Government approXi-
mately s137,0 which was unused,
Mr.. Gardner said. Then Congress
reduced the amount of money ap-
propriated for the national school
lunch program and the District
found itself allotted only the $780,
725.
Last year the District spent S54.-
302 in Federal food and milk funds,
of which S36,722 went for milk.