At a hearing before the Milk Control Commission at the Court House the Williamsport Area Milk Dealers asked the state to make it mandatory for dealers to make it mandatory to collect a five-cent deposit on wholesale milk for resale.

In making the request for the deposit milk dealers, the dealers stated that the deposit should only apply to quart bottles sold in stores, restaurants, and hotels. The cost of course, would be passed on to those who purchase from them.

The request for the five-cent deposit applies in Williamsport, South Williamsport and the market area served by the dealers.

The dealers’ representative further testified that because of existing conditions making it difficult to replace existing bottles it is necessary to secure the prompt replacement of the bottles in use in order for an adequate supply will be available for the delivery of milk.

Since most of the bottle loss results from retail sales it is believed by the dealers that a bottle deposit will reduce the loss and will encourage the prompt return of the bottles.

According to the testimony it takes six months or longer to obtain a supply of bottles marked for deposit.

The action of the commission today it is understood, is primarily to make sales uniform throughout the Williamsport-Sayre-Athens area. Some towns now require deposits.

John Pfuatz, Director of the Bureau of Counts and Statistics for the commission stated that in 1945 the expenditure for caps, milk bottles, containers, cans and cases was the equivalent of 2.07 percent of the sales. In terms of 100 pounds for Class 1 milk it was 18.64 or four mills per quart. The witness stated he believed the bottle deposit would effect a substantial saving in the area.