Evening star., 1950-10-26
D. {. 10 Permit Import
OF Unlicensed Milk
For Suburban Sale
BULLETIN

The Commissioners today de-
cided to permit processing of
milk here from farms not Ii
censed under the District Milk
Act for distribution to consumers
outside the city. Milk for con-
sumption in the District must
be proceSsed separately and
come from District permit farms.
Importation of milk from farms
outside the District inspection
area will be banned for con-
sumption here after Tuesday.
The milk controversy here
headed for a showdown today,
as the Tuesday deadline neared
on importations of milk from
outside the District Health De-
partment inspection area.
Health Officer Daniel L. Seckin-
ger and attorneys for three lead
ing independent dairies, which
have been fighting for an open
market. planned to meet with the
Commissioners this morning.
DR.. Seckinger was to be armed
with the latest figures on the
amount of milk being brought
into the. District, requested yes
terday by Commissioner Guy
Mason.
Health Department officials
have expressed concern over the
possibility of milk shortage be-
cause of growing demands from
nearby military establishments.
Set Extra Needs.
The three independents, Wake
field Model Farms, Highland
Farms and Embassy, already have
advised the Commissioners they
need some 1890 gallons Of milk
a day above the amount they re-
ceive from their producers hold
ing District permits.
On the other side of the pic
ture. William B. Hooper, Office
manager of the Maryland and
Virginia Milk Producers Associa-
ton. said yesterday the associa-
ton. notified the city heads to-
day the association had more than
enough milk to supply all the
needs of the area.
Mr.. Hooper said the CommiS-
sioners would be informed the
association has a 32,000-gallon-a-
day surplus of District-inspected
milk. This surplus now is being
separated into cream and sold
to the ice cream market, he said. .
Import Permits Asked.
The independent dairies. who
said their shortage will be even
greater if they are called on to
supply milk to the armed forces,
have asked for permits to import
milk from Ohio, Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
The Commissioners had an
nounced that, if a milk shortage
exists, after the Tuesday ban, i'm
portation of locally uninpsected
milk will be permitted, provided
1t meets certain health standards.
The independent dairies have
been importing a considerable part
of their supply, under the emer-
gency provision adopted in 1912,
to permit the bringing in Of out
side milk, rather than buying from
members of the producers asso-
citation.
Failure of the Commissioners to i
permit the dairies to import milk
after Tuesday presumably would
leave them with the alternative
of obtaining milk from associa-
ton producers or cutting down
their distribution until they could
accumulate additional farms with
District permits.
Gillette Asks Report.
Meanwhile, Chairman Gillette
of a Senate Agriculture subcom-
mittee studying milk and related
food problems has asked the Com
missioners to furnish a report on
the milk situation by today.
He asked specific information
on how much milk is received
daily from producers with District
permits and how much comes
from outside sources, as we'll as
how much is needed daily for the
area and the armed forces.
He wanted to know also wheth-
er the effect of the termination
order would directly or indirectly
force the independent dairies to
buy milk from the association,