Evening star., 1947-04-12
Djlailll5 Nl|g II
Price Appeal !
Under Study
Decision Is Promised
In Week on Retention
Of Current Rates

The Virginia Milk Commission Is
preparing to hand down a decision by
next Friday on q plea of the Mary
land and Virginia Milk Producers
Association for a continuance Of
present milk prices in nearby Vir-
ginia communities.
Bruce B. Derrick, manager of the
producers, group, asked for the price
level continuance at hearing In the
Alexandria Health Department yes
terday before two members of the
three-man State Milk Commission.
At the conclusion of the hearing,
DR.. T. r. Snavely OF Charlottesville,
commission chairman, promised Mr..
Derrick the commission would reach
decision as soon as possible. Mark
Turner of Herndon, producer rep
resentative on the commission, pre-
dicted after the hearing that the
decision would be ready within a
week.
Producers and distributors have
agreed on price OF $3.50 per hun
dredweight in Washington and
nearby Maryland, Mr.. Derrick said.
The purpose of the hearing was to
obtain ruling from the commits
sion establishing a similar price in
Northern Virginia, he explained.
In addition to the $3.50 per hun
dredweight, distributors have been
paying formers premiums of about
So cents per hundredweight. This
brings the wholesale price of milk
to about 1913 cents per quart, it was
explained.
Opposition Lacking.
All testimony supported Mr.. Der
rick's contention that milk prices
should be continued at the same
level. Notices of the hearing were
published in Washington and North
ern Virginia newspapers last week,
but no one appeared in opposition
to the producers request. Bernard
A. Speer, commission representative
for the Northern Virginia area, an
nounced the hearing.
Mr.. Derrick told reporters later
that Federal control of milk prices
went out of effect in the Northern
Virginia area March 81. 1t then
was up to the commission to set
the price, he explained. The mainte-
nance of price levels was asked to
forestall any seasonal drop in prices
the commission may have consid-
cred, Mr.. Speer explained earlier.
Mr.. Derrick told the commission
that to lower prices now would
definitely put a lot of farms out of
business and therefore shorten the
already short supply of locally
produced milk"
To decrease locally produced sup
plies would be definite disadvan-
tage to consumers, he contended,
because milk imported from other
areas isn't of the high quality pro-
duced in this area.
"World's Best Milk" He Says.
"Our producers are putting out
the worlds highest quality milk" he
stated. -4rs ~
He predicted milk producers of
the Maryland and Virginia area
would be able to produce all of the
milk consumed throughout the area
by l948 If adequate price levels are
maintained.
I'VE intend to make good that
promise" he commented after the
hearing.
He added that whenever producer
expenses go down SO that producers
can cut their selling prices, that will
be done"
Mr.. Derricks statement before the
commission yesterday was his first
formal reply to criticism leveled at
him by the Washington Committee
for Consumer Protection, which is
protesting the associations action
requesting that the Agriculture De-
partment set aside milk marketing
agreement for this area. He told
the commission there was mo pros
pect of surplus milk during the
entire year
Mr.. Derrick went into detail on
rising producer costs and pointed
out that while milk prices in Wash
ington have increased 1872 per cent
since January, 1941, all food costs
have increased 80 per cent in the
same period.
The consumer group, meanwhile,
launched a campaign urging house
wives to cut down on their milk
purchases during April.