Evening star., 1952-06-27
Milk Price Rise
Decision Awaits
Boards Rulings
Increase Sought in
Alexandra, Arlington
And Manassas Area
Rv W;ll:a~ A kA;lla.
By WiIIiom A. MiIIen
Stor StoH Correspondent

By Williom A. MiIIen
| Stor Stoff Correspondent
! RICHMOND, June 27.-The ke,
to whether people in the Alexan.
dria Arlington and Manassas (Va.,
milk marketing areas must pay
higher dairy prices rests with
Federal authorities.
The Virginia Milk Commission
made this decision yesterday
after hearing testimony here or
the request of Washington ares
dairies for this increase. The
commission agreed to wait and SET
what the Wage Sterilization Boarc
and the Office of Price Stabiliza
ton in Washington do abou,
pending requests on this sub.
ject. before handing down a deci.
sion. The commission decision
would affect only Virginia.
Spokesman for the Washington
daries, who also do business il
nearby Virginia. told the commits.
sion they can not absorb the wag.
raise of $3.50 weekly. They sale
they must pass it on to the Gus.
toners in the form of higher
prices for dairy products.
While the dairies have requested
that milk prices be advanced y 8
cent a quart. the spokesmen die
not tell the commission exactly
what the new prices of other dairy
products would be, if authorized
But they said they would 90 ur
proportionately.
WSB Approval Asked.
The dairymen cited higher pro.
duction costs as the reason for the
price advance. Management anc
labor in the dairy industry in the
Washington area agreed to a new
contract, under which the workers
would get $3.50 more a week.
Both sides are asking the Wage
Sterilization Board to approve
this scale
The requested price hike would
affect consumers in the National
Capital also.
Gerald j. Glassman, executive
assistant to the Arlington County
Public Utilities Commission, vain
ly fought to pin down the dairy
spokesmen yesterday on finances
He wanted to get more facts on
the dairies' earnings, costs and
how much of the wage increase
the companies might be able to
absorb themselves.
Law Keeps Figures Secret.
But Acting Commission Chair.
man Virgil P. Randolph, jr., oil
Richmond, told Mr.. Glassman that
under Virginia law. financial fig.
ures of the dairies are secret
Earlier, Chairman Randolph had
said that the commission audi
tors examine the companies books
to ascertain if profits are too high
and the matter is thus regulated.
Robert H. Rawlins. production
manager. Thompson's Dairy
pointed out the WSB must act
first. But he said he expects it
will give an answer some time
during the next week.
Figures Presented.
Mr.. Rawlins submitted a petit
ton to the commission yesterday
that had been made to OPS pre-
viously. This gave facts and fig
ures on the dairy business. But
Chairman Randolph said his COM
mission did not feel like making
lit public, inasmuch as the mat
ter is in the hands of the Federal
authorities. And, further. they
must get the dairies' permission
to do SO, under the law, he ex-
planned.
If approved by all the regula-
tory bodies concerned, the price
of dairy products in the Washing
ton n-Alexandria- Arlington -Manas-
sas area would be about the same,
the commission was told.
M. H. Burchell. president of the
Alexandria Dairy Products Co.,
Inc, told the commission that
Agriculture Department figures
show the profit range for dis
Itributors in the Washington milk
shed is one OF the narrowest
i'm the entire United States.
Mr.. Burchell also asked the
commission to authorize the sale
in Virginia of skim milk with
added solids and Vitamins A and
D concentrate. The plan is to
start selling this new product
about July /, he explained. It
would sell at 18 cents a quart
wholesale and 20 cents a quart
retail, he said.
Others Request Authority.
Other dairies submitted separate
petitions on this point. asking
similar authority. They said the
Virginia Dairy and Food Division
has approved this product for
public distribution.
Maurice v. Dawson, vice presi-
dent, hestnut Farms Chevy
Chase Dairy Co., told the commits
sion he does not consider present
earnings adequate.
Tukomu Park School
Plnns Summer plnv