Evening star., 1955-08-25
Dissenting Member Hits
Virginia Milk Ruling

Storm warnings were up fol-
the Virginia State Milk Com
mission today as one of its own
members protested the agency's
decision to maintain all price
controls in the northern Vir-
ginia area.
v. P. Randolph, jr.. who cast
the dissenting vote in yesterdays
I2-l decision for continuation oi
retail controls in the Alexandria
Arlington and Manassas markets
issued a two-page statement ex-
planning his stand.
Mr.. Randolph specifically votec
against resale price controls ir
the northern Virginia markets
Resale prices embrace retail anc
wholesale prices charged BY
dairles. He voted with the Other
two members. however, for con.
Itinuation of producer price con-
Itrols which govern the amount
paid to dairy farmers.
Unusual Statement
The statement from Mr.. Ran.
Idolph was unusual. Decisions ol
the three-member commission
usually have been unanimous
Seldom, if ever, have there beer
open disagreements among com.
mission members in recent years
Mr.. Randolph is the one mem
ber of the commission not in.
Ivolved in the milk business
Clarence Fleshman is the dairy
representative and Mark Tur-
ner, chairman. is the producer
Representative.
Mr.. Randolph said it was esti-
mated we'll over 80 per cent OF
the people in the Arlington
Alexandria area wanted decon-
troll of resale prices. A majority
of those who appeared before
the commission when it con-
Quoted a hearing in Alexandria
last month urged an end of re-
sale control, but did not protest
continuation of producer con-
trolls. Legislators from the
Northern Virginia area were
.among those who called for
abandonment of resale controls.
II cannot see how it is to the
public interest to f1out such
opinions. said Mr.. Randolph,
ut may we'll be that some of
the smaller locally owned dis
tributors may suffer at the
hands of large national chain
dairies or even the larger locally
owned dairies, but I do not feel
that the Milk and Cream Act
(Which established the commits
sion) was passed to guarantee
any private business an assured
income or even to keep it in
business"
He continued:
1.-The Arlington Alexandria and
Manassas markets compose no
more than third of the Metro
politan Area. 1t seems incon-
gruous to think that this portion
requires control when the dis
tributorS across the river in the
other two thirds of the Washing
ton Metropolitan Area are not
controlled and seem to be doing
very we'll"
Mrs. Stone Critical
Other comments on the COM
missions decision came from
Mrs. Kathryn Stone and Harri-
son Mann. members of the House
of Delegates from Arlington. and
Omer Hirst. a delegate from
Fairfax.
Mrs. Stone said that she con-
sidered the decision incredible. :"
1T defies every sound econom-
ic fact" said Mrs. Stone. 1T
leaves the consumers right where
they were before. 1t shows a
majority Of the commission is
impervious to public opinion and
to the consumers interest"
Mrs. Stone added that she felt
the milk distributors were in
viting a steady decline of sales
of fresh fluid milk-consumers
are turning more and more to
dried and condensed milk and
this is one form of competition
the Virginia Milk Commission
cannot cut of by fiat"
Mr.. Hirst did not criticize the
decision to retain controls. but
said he thought the new price