Evening star., 1950-06-21
Proposed Rules
On Milk 10 Get
Hearing July 10
Miller Prepared
To Offer Bill
RepeoIine 1925 Act

sSs
Proposed regulations designed
to insure an adequate milk supply
from farms inspected by the Dis
trict Health Department will be
given a public hearing by the
Commissioners on July 10.
The suggested new rules were
made public late yesterday by the
city heads. who earlier had de-
cided against continuing q war
time measure permitting importa.
tion of milk from sources not
covered by local health inspectors.
This means that, effective July
l, about 10000 gallons Of milk
brought into the District daily
since the emergency provision
was adopted In 1912 will be cut
off.
Meanwhile, Representative Mil
Ter, Republican, Of Nebraska,
hoped to introduce q bill today
which. in effect, would provide
permanent authority for importa-
ton Of milk.
Would Repeal 1925 Act.
The bill would repeal the 1925
milk act, which Corporation
Counsel Vernon e. West advised
the Commissioners prohibits ship
ment of milk and cream into the
District from farms that have
not been inspected and given
proper rating by the health officer.
The proposed new regulations,
which include provision for chem
ical as well as the now-specified
steam sterilization, were drawn
up by Assistant Corporation Coun-
sci Edward A. Beard and Ralph
D. Quinter. jr.
The rules are intended to in
crease the number Of shippers on
the local market, with no de-
crease in quality Of milk. It is
expected some producers who now
ship to Baltimore may decide to
ship to Washington if they are
able to comply with local require
mentS under the new regulations.
In addition to the optional
chemical sterilization provision.
the proposed rules permit a milk
ing parlor-loaf1ng barn combina-
ton. as well as a stanchion barn
in the production Of milk. Farm
ers now must have a separate
stanchion for every COW.
The COWS may go through a
milking parlor in rotation, saving
the farmer a trip to each stan
chion at milking time. Mr.. Beard
said the District. is virtually the
only locality. that does not permit
this.
The loaf1ng barn is the struc-
ture in which the cattle are quar-
tered. Since they are not MIXED
there, 1t may be less elaborate
than one in which milk is han
died.
Another provision Of the sug-
gested regulations would throw
records of all distributors open to
the Health Department for OIL
cial purposes. This is to prevent
illegal importation of uninspected
milk.
Other Provisions Given.
The new rules would outlaw
selling in the District any milk
with a bacteria count of more
than 100000 per cubic centimeter
on the farm, or more than 200,-
900 at any time prior to pasteuri-
zation.
This takes into account the in
crease in bacteria count during
trucking and handling. Present
regulations permit a farmer using
the required equipment and tech
nique to bring in his milk, irres.
pective Of the bacteria count be-
fore pasteurization.
Other proposed new require
mentS include:
annual examination OF dairy
and farm employees for freedom
from communicable disease. At
present this increases the farm
score but is not mandatory.
Compliance. within two years
often the regulations 20 into
effect with the brucellosis eradi-
cation program of the Department
of Agriculture.
The Commissioners originally
announced last December they
would reimpose the milk ban on
July l. The Maryland and Vir-
ginia Milk and Producers Asso-
citation requested the ban, saying
its members could supply Wash
ington's needs by then.
Several dairies, including En-
bassy and Wakefield, and spokes-
men for the Washington Res
taurant Association and the Hotel
Association Of Washington, testi-
fed against it at a recent hearing.
An official of the restaurant
group told the hearing that re-
imposition of the ban would
tighten the control Of the associa-
ton over the local milk supply
and might result in higher prices
for consumers.