Evening star., 1950-07-13
DisfrictMi|kRow
Is Aired in Two
pito|Reariings
Senate Unit Studies
Marketing as Clashes
Mark House Session

The battle over Washington S
regulations controlling the sale of
milk in the city was underway in
two places today.
A House District subcommittee
Is hearing testimony on two bills
before it. These bills would re-
peal the District Milk Act of 1925
and allow milk from any State in
the country to be shipped into the
District, if it was up to United
States Public Health Service
standards.
At the same time, Senate
Agriculture subcommittee is quiz
zing officials of the Maryland and
Virginia Milk Producers Associa-
tion. This subcommittee is study
ing the milk marketing situation
here as well as throughout the
country.
Sharp Exchanges.
The House subcommittee hear
ingS yesterday were marked by
sharp exchanges between Repre-
sentative Smith, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia, who is a firm supporter of
the producers association, and
the authors of the two bills, Rep
resentatives Miller, of Nebraska.
and Murray, of Wisconsin. both
Republicans.
The producers association, which
supplies IS per cent of the milk
used in the city. is fighting to
retain the present milk regula-
tions. Under these, steam steriliz-
alton of dairy farm equipment is
required.
Impatiently sitting on the
fringes of both hearings were
representatives of the two indie
pendent dairies leading the fight
against the producers associa-
tion - Wakefield and Embassy.
They have not been called yet at
the Capitol Hill hearings.
Both Heard Earlier.
Both were heard in support of
changing the regulations to allow
chemical sterilization of dairy
farm equipment at another hear
ing, temporarily halted, which the
Commissioners held on Monday
and Tuesday.
The Commissioners hearing was
to consider changes to the regula-
tions now in effect. Health Officer
Daniel L. Seckinger has proposed
that chemical sterilization be al
lowed on the farms that serve
the District.
Yesterday DR.. Seckinger told
the House subcommittee he
doesn't care where the milk comes
from, so long as his department
has the right to inspect the pro-
ducing farms.
He said his position is that, if
the Health officer is responsible
for the health of the people of
the District, he must have the
right to inspect and approve milk
sold in the city. Without that
right, the Health officers respon-
sibility is being removed, he said.
Young Wants Good Milk
Commissioner John Russell
Young told the subcommittee he
doesn't care where the milk came
from either, so long it is good
milk. He said the Commissioners
have not decided what stand to
take on the milk question as yet.
Present plans call for the Com
miSsionerS to reconvene their
hearing at some future date so
that citizen groups from Wash
ington can be heard on the ques-
ton.
Both DR.. Miller and Mr.. Murray
charged that the producers as
sociation is running a racket" in
Washington. However, Mr.. Smith
backed them down somewhat and
they said they didn't mean to say
1t was a racket" but that they
see no reason why the regulations
should work to the advantage of
one group.
John F. Hillyard, attorney rep
resenting the Wakefield Dairy,
jumped to his feet. g
I'VE are going to prove that it
is racket" he declared.