Evening star., 1950-06-08
8-Month Delay
Urged on Milk
Import Curbs
Mason Not Opposed
To Suggestion of
Senate Committee

An eight-month postponement
of the Commissioners ban on
shipment of milk here from farms
not inspected by the Health De-
partment was proposed today by
counsel of the Senate Agriculture
Subcommittee investigating the
Washington milk situation.
Commissioner Guy Mason told
the subcommittee hearing he could
see mo objection" to the post
ponement for the purposes of the
committee.
Committee Counsel Paul Had
lick suggested the delay in the
ban, scheduled to go into effect
July /. until the subcommittee
had time to formulate national
program for milk marketing and
distribution.
West Testifies.
Mr.. Mason's informal approval
of delay came in the face of a
tentative" conclusion of Corpora
ton Counsel Vernon E. West, that
the Commissioners have no right
to permit milk to enter the city
from farms not inspected by the
Health Department.
Senator Gillette, Democrat, of
Iowa, subcommittee chairman, an
nounced at the outset of the hear
ing that his group sought among
other things to inquire into the
recent order of the Commission
ers banning shipment of milk
from non-inspected farms after
June 80.
Such an order. Senator Gillette
said, places an effective restraint
upon the free movement of milk
into the District" Then he added:
From data tentatively sub
mitted to the subcommittee, this
is perhaps no different from the
situation in many metropolitan
areas"
Mr.. Vests finding, on the other
hand. appeared to put the ques-
ton right back in the lap of Con-
greSS. {
Says Milk Must Be Rated.
"The legislative history bears
out the thought that milk brought
into the District must be in
spected and rated by the Health
Department" Mr.. West declared.
Milk from inon-inspected farms
known as imported milk-has
been permitted to come into the
District since 1912 due to war;
time shortage. Last winter the
Maryland and Virginia Milk Pro-
ducers Association asked the Com
misSioners to reimpose the ban on
the grounds that association
members can supply Washington's
needs. ~,s.<s.-s' Il s7-+txr.s-
s Several large distributors here,
however, complained that reim-
position of the ban would be
hardship and might even force
them out of business.
Sterilization Not Banned.
Mr.. West, in reply to another
question by Mr.. Hadlick, expressed
the view that chemical steriliza-
ton of dairy farm equipment is
not banned by the District milk
act of 1925.
Commissioner John Russell
Young, the first witness, told the
committee that this type of ster-
ilization has been recommended
by the District health officer. Mr..
Young added:
This, no doubt, would increase
the number of producers in our
milk she'd" .r..t
Some Health Department off,
cials pointed out that the present
regulation requiring steam sterili-
zation was expensive and held
down the number of new produc-
ers for that reason.
During questioning of District
Health Officer Daniel L. Seek
niger, Senator Aiken, Republican,
of Vermont commented that con-
sumers may pay more for their
milk "but save on doctors bills" I"
He had reference to various regu-
lationS aimed at insuring high
sanitation in milk production.
At the conclusion of the days
hearing Mr.. Hadlick told reporters
the committee hopes to call repre-
sentatives of the producers as
Snciation next Thursday