J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                              1697

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

No. 1
(House Joint Resolution 2)

Joint Resolution requesting the Governor SECRETARY OF AGRI-
CULTURE and the Maryland Congressional delegation to investi-
gate the Federal milk order which applies to the upper Chesapeake
Bay area.

Whereas, A Federal milk order has been issued by the United
States Department of Agriculture which affects all Maryland milk
producers who sell their milk in the designated marketing area; and

Whereas, A vast majority of independent milk producers who
reside in nine of the fourteen and one-half Maryland counties affected
by the order but are unaffiliated with any milk cooperative associa-
tion are strongly opposed to being included in the jurisdiction of the
order; and

Whereas, There is ample evidence to indicate that the inclusion
of the said nine counties in PASSAGE OF the Federal order was
primarily the result of the voting strength of one cooperative milk
association whose membership in the said nine counties constitutes
a small percentage of its total of OVER 1600 members; and

Whereas, No shortage of consumer's milk supply, nor unstable
and inequitable returns to the producer existed in the said nine
counties prior to the institution of the Federal order; and

Whereas, The A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF independent milk
producers of the said nine counties feel that they have been dealt
with in a capricious and arbitrary manner by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture; now therefore be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor
be requested to inform the President of the United States SECRE-
TARY OF AGRICULTURE of the situation which now exists among
a minority group of Maryland milk producers, and to request the
President of the United States SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
to investigate the establishment and enforcement of Federal Order
No. 127, which encompasses the upper Chesapeake Bay marketing
area, to determine if the need exists for legislative or administrative
amendment of the original order; and be it further

Resolved, That the Maryland Senators and Representatives in the
Congress of the United States exert their combined efforts to insure
that an investigation be made of the charges of economic oppression
by the various minority groups concerned; and be it further

Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.