Evening star., 1955-07-14
.irgiinians Call
For End 10 Milk
PIeos at Hearing
Urge Retention Of
Producer Curbs

COI1ulSSlOu COQdy aG Inc Opeu-
ing of a hearing in Alexandra.
More than 100 dairymen,
farmers, housewives and legisla-
tors packed the hearing room
in the George Mason Hotel to
speak their piece about what
new price patterns should be
established in the Arlington
Alexandra and Manassas milk
markets.
Pleas for the commission to
step out of the retail and whole
sale price-fixing business-re-
tanning only producer price con-
trol-came from Arlington
County's delegation to the Cen
eral Assembly, Safeway Stores
and Highs Stores. None sug-
gested elimination of producer
prices that the farmers receive.
James Click, economist for the
Maryland and Virginia Milk
Producers Association, urged re-
tention of producer-price con-
trolls.
No Price War Seen
Arlington's three representa-
tives in the House of Delegates,
j. Maynard Magruder, C. Har-
|rison Mann and Mrs. Kathryn
Stone, presented a joint state
|ment declaring that lit is now
mo longer necessary for the board
to fix retail prices on fluid milk" I"
They argued that milk prices
will find their own true COM
petitive level just as soon as an
arbitrary dam is removed" They
said they did not believe any
price war would result from the
lifting of retail price controls
in Virginia.
State Senator Charles r. Fen
wick of Arlington submitted a
statement in which he said with
Ia fair price guaranteed to the
producers, there is no reason
why the retail selling of milk
should not be on an open, COM
|petitive basis :" Senator Fen
wick's statement, presented in
his absence by Mr.. Mann. urged
the commission to step out of
retail price fixing for at least
a six-month trial period.
Mrs. Stone reported that at
least 100 housewives had called
her to complain about milk
prices being higher in nearby
Virginia than they are in WASH
|ington. She said one caller
figured her yearly milk bill was
$474 In Virginia. while the same
amount could be bought in stores
in Washington for 1928 a year.
"That would help pay that
family's taxes in Virginia." said
Mrs. Stone. Arthur B. Hanson,
attorney for Safeway Stores,
argued that only II States still
maintain retail and wholesale
price fixing out of the original
q States that had such control.
Varying Prices
He warned that the commits
sion would have a hard time fix
ing maximum prices-one of the
issues before the hearing-be-
cause this would involve diff
ferent prices for milk sold in
restaurants, vending machines
and so forth.
Mr.. Hanson introduced into
the record of the hearing an
edition Of The Sunday Star of
July 10 which carried q page
about the Washington area milk
situation. He called it ian ex-
cellent roundup of the milk story
in this market"
c. Y. Stephens, president of
Highs, urged the commission to
eliminate retail price controls
entirely. and also asked it to
recommend legalization of the
glass gallon jug for sale of milk
In Virginia. This would require
action of the Legislature.
Mr.. Click. in urging retention
|of producer controls, noted that
dairy farmers have asked upward
adjustment of their prices only
twice since 1947. The price OF
Glass l milk now is $3.50 pei
hundredweight, which is SO cents
above 1947 prices. The blend
price. which is the amount the
farmer actually receives based
on how much milk is sold in
various classes, now Is running
around $4.91 per hundredweight
Mr.. Click reported.
The questions of eliminating
the Alexandria Arlington mar
ket from the commissions price-
fixing powers arose as a result
of petitions from the Arlington
County Board. the Fairfax Board
of County Supervisors, and q
number Of Northern Virginia
legislators who asked the COM
mission to consider dropping re-
tail price controls in the nearby
area.