Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-04
MILK
Producers, Formers Due to Give
Views on Changes in Regulations

when cows are freshest has
almost arrived. The farmer
will begin building his large
SURPRISES.
Actually. the diaries don't
intend to stop buying from the
farmer Business will continue
as usual. Both Sealest and
Thompson's are going after in
dependent producers and SEEK
ing 70 entice coop members to
sell directly instead of through
the association.
The switchover will take q
long time" Q Sealtest official
said. I'VE don't expect any mass
detection" answers the coop.
However. Chestnut Farms is
seeking Maryland milk, unin-
spected by the District, which
It win process here and sell
only in Maryland. This, too. is
expected to develop slowly in
volume and the dairy hopes
1t will be only a temporary
measure until District regula-
tons are changed. The dairy
may have to put a special label
on all its District-i inspected
milk If a regulation now being
considered Is adopted.
This has prompted Maryland
Delegate, Joseph H. McElwee
Democrat Of Washington
County. to press harder for his
bill to establish a milk commits
sion for the State which would
set minimum price controls.
A milk commission now
operates in Virginia. But If the
Federal market order is in
stituted here the Virginia COM
mission might relinquish its
controls in this area and let the
market control itself. That could
mean a consumer price reduc-
ton in Northern Virginia.
Some farmers contend milk
commissions operate toe the
ultimate benefit Of the distrib-
utors. One long time op-
ponent to the Virginia COM
mission is c. Y. Stephens, pres
ident Of Highs Dairy. He Is
currently waging a fight against
establishment Of a commission
in Maryland.
Highs Fights Commissions
Highs introduced the gallon
milk jug here in 1855. It proved
to become q thorn in the sides
Of the larger diaries. Soon the
lower bulk price was adopted by
other diaries to meet the COM
petition. When the gallon jug
came on the market Highs was
selling about 1900 to 1.4O0 gal.
Ions of milk a day. Now the
dairy is moving 10 times that
much.
Mr.. Stephens says a price
war on fluid milk is "incon-
ceivable." Other dairy officials
agree with him. And those talk
ing of a cut in average con-
sumer prices say they wish to
meet only the realistic" COM
petitive prices now current.
! Another thorn in the larger
diaries sides is the ownership
OF Embassy Dairy by the Mary
land-Virginia cooperative. The
farmers group bought the
dairy for So 8 million in 1854
At the time of the purchase
Embassy had been buying its
milk from independent produc-
ers and not from the associa-
ton. Now the city's other dair-
les are irked to find themselves
in competition with their farm
erS. ~
The coop sees Embassy as
an outlet for what otherwise
would be milk surpluses that
do not bring the farmer as
great a return when converted
into manufactured milk pro-
ducts as 1t does when bottled
for drinking. BY reducing the
surplus the price demanded for
fluid milk is kept higher since
Ut is based on a weighted aver
age according to use.
Embassy completes on the
same basis as any other dairy,
says Mr.. Hooper, the coop
manager. But, others point out
the non-profit cooperative
isn't taxed on the dollars the
dairy takes in.
Hr. Hoover says the dairy
is just breaking even. Its great
est asset. he said. is the outlet
1t provides for selling surplus
in a form that brings the farm
erS a greater return.