Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-24
Montgomery Sets
Milk Code Hearing
Rigid Standard
Proposed in
New Ordinance

The Montgomery County
Council today set a public hear
ing for April II on a proposed
milk ordinance which would re-
strict the importation of milk
from out-of-State areas to
farms approved by the county
health officer.
A hearing will be held at 8
pm. in the auditorium of the
county building at Rockville.
The regulations would follow
closely those of the District of
Columbia except for latter's
more rigid requirements as to
air space and equipment loca-
tons in dairy barns.
DR.. William ]. Peoples, coun-
ty health director, told the
council, I'VE think the elbow
grease that goes into keeping
the barns clean is more i'm
portant than prescribing dis
tances. the amount of air space,
and so on"
County attorney Alfred H.
Carter described as the heart"
OF the ordinance a sec/on
which requires any person who
produces milk for sale within
the county to obtain a permit
from the health officer.
While agreeing on the hear
ing date, the council post
poned until later in the day
an agreement on the final
wording of the ordinance to
be advertised. This was to
give DR.. Peoples time to work
out a schedule of inspection
fees to be based on actual
costs.
Dr.. Peoples told reporters
the ordinance would allow any
dairy to sell milk in Mont
gomery County, providing it
meets our high standards"
At present, Chestnut Farms
(SealteSD Dairy has been i'm
porting out-of-State milk, not
inspected by the District but
which meets Public Health
Service standards, for sale in
Montgomery County.
! Bacteria Count
The proposed code would be
twice as rigid as the Maryland
law and identical with District
regulations with respect to
maximum bacteria count.
An outright prohibition
against the sale of raw milk,
cream or raw milk products
for human consumption would
be written into the law.
DR.. Peoples said there is only
one producer of raw milk in the
county and that is a small
scale operation.
The ordinance was ordered
prepared two weeks ago when
Stella B. Werner, council
president, declared the county
should have the same high
standards that the District has
for its supply.
DR.. Peoples told the council
he would need three or four
additional men to inspect
diaries.
Cottage Cheese Milk
Meanwhile, Washington
diaries were casting about for
new and cheaper sources of
manufacturing milk to put into
their cottage cheese product.
In the latest phase of the
milk war, Chestnut Farms an
nounced it was seeking about
10000 gallons of such milk
from outside the Maryland
Virginia Milk Producers AsSo-
citation.
Edgar N. Brawner, Chestnut
Farms manager, said he I'M
derStood the cooperative will
be charging $5.95 per hundred
weight LAC quarts for such
milk after April 1.-The same
price as will be paid for top
grade milk.
Too Costly to Compete
"At that price, we would
not be able to compete with
the cottage cheese sent into
this area from New York, Bal
timore. Pennsylvania and other
points" Mr.. Brawner said.
He figured it would cost Is
to Is more cents a quart to
produce the cheese product at
that price for milk. Mr.. Braw-
ner pointed out that the CO.
operative. from which the
dairy now buys all its manu-
featuring milk. now charges
1912 per 100 pounds.
other diaries, including
Thompson's. also are looking
for a new supply of manufac-
turing milk in Maryland and
Pennsylvania.
The battle Of Chestnut Farms
and Thompson'S for a revision
in strict District milk regula-
tons has gained some support
from William H. Cary, the Dis
trict Health Departments food
safety director.
Mr.. Cary revealed he has
asked Corporation Counsel
Chester Gray'S opinion on
whether changes can be made
in the 1925 code without re-
lpealing the entire act.
But before any changes are
made, a public hearing should
be held on the issue, Mr.. Cary
added.