Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-03-12
Dairynen
HOldF'irn
County Acts
To Guarantee
Milk Controls

Montgomery County's $50
members of the Maryland
Virginia Milk Producers AS
ISOLATION continued to hold
firm this week against eff
forts of Chestnut Farms
(Sealtest) Dairy to make i'm
dividual purchases from
them.
F. Upton Gladhill, one of four
Association directors for the
county, said there has not been,
nor is there expected to be, a
break in the dairymen's deter
mined stand to sell milk only as
association members - not az
individual dairymen.
The strategy, of course, IL to
preserve a stable milk price
here through united action by
the producers.
"The county dalrymen took q
licking years ago when similar
situations came up and there
was no association to protect
us, GIadhiII said.
Meanwhile, In highly signifI.
cant move Tuesday, the County
Council set In motion a plan
which would lead to milk being
controlled at the county level for
the first time.
Councilmen instructed their
legal staff to prepare a milk
code similar to the one enforced
by the District of Columbia and
one that is compiled with by all
members of tae MIX Producers
Association.
The decision represents a sig.
nificant victory for area dairy
farmers in their fight against
the price cutting efforts Of
Chestnut Farms (Sealtest)
Dairy.
Mrs. Stella Werner, Council
chairman, suggested an early
meeting on the issue with the
Washington Metropolitan Re-
gional Conference. She declaredf
II feel there Is no dissension
among us that we want to nd.
here to the District of Columbia
milk code and to protect our
dairy industry"
County Attorney Alfred n.
Carter was directed TO prepare
for council consideration, a set
of regulations that would be
comparable to those now In ef.
feet In Washington.
At present, milk sold for con-
sumption in Maryland must con-
firm only to United States Pub
lie Health and Maryland State
standards, which are consider.
ably lower than those of the
District.
The latter specify a raw milk
bacteria count of no more than
100000 per cubic centimeter, as
against the USPH and Mary.
land maximum of 100000. In
addition, the District requires
stricter and more frequent I'm.
spectiOn of dairy barns and ami.
mails.
Higher county standards
would have the effect of stop
ping Sealtest from marketing
lower quality milk imported
from other areas, as It is now
doing.
Most milk produced IN the
Washington Metropolitan area
conforms to District standards
and IL marketed through the
Maryland.virginia Milk Produc-
ers Association, the dairy farm.
ers coop.
One Of Sealtests prime objec-
tives Is to break the Associa.
tons grip on area distribution.
In the past, the dairy has been
the Associations principal Gus.
toner, accounting for so per
cent of the co-op's sales.
Carter told the Council Tues.
day he could envision no legal
block to enforcement of a coun.
ty code, providing 1t did not con.
flict with regulations of the
State Department of Health.
The Councils decision fol-
lowed a discussion Of the issue
with DR.. William J. Peoples,
county health director, and Mel.
win l.. Reese, county manager.
Reese declared that I'VE
should have a standard milk
producing and processing law
for the entire Washington Met.
ropolitan area"
DR.. Peoples said USPH and
Maryland milk standards pro-
vide for safe" milk, but that
they do not provide for the
quality Of milk that the District
-