The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-22
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Report of the New York Senate
Committee.
An Alarming Condition of Affairs-Loss
of Over 5000, 600 tO the State Annu-
ally-Hew.Tnllaw and lard Oil are De.
vOured by New Workers.

ALBANY, March 21.-The New York Senate
committee on public health, which has been
investigating the authorizations of food, pre-
sented its repo.t today.
The committee has discovered alarming
wholesale adu Iterstious of food which are dan
gerous to the consumer and which are depre-
Grating property in the rural districts. Inc
adulteration OF butter by tallow oil aud iafd
oil was found in almost every town sDd CITY
III the State and ia amount which equals
hall the production of the natural article. me
imita ion is so disguised that often it Can only
be detected by chemical analysis. Out OF thir-
ty samples Of alleged butter purchased by the
committee in New York only ten wero genu-
inc. No labels to distinguish the pure from
the bogus butter ara displayed required oy
existing law. Bogus butter is largely purchas-
ed by saloons, boarding houses and secund
class hotels. Poorer qualities of bogus butter
sell for from 20 to 30 cents to labOring men ana
better grades Ut 40.r 46 CT nts The cost OF
manufacturs rAnges from IL to Is cents, the
average being IA cents.
Its manufacture in New York is chiefly car
ried on in New York aud Brooklyn, several
concerns mauu acturing over 3 0O0, 600 pounus
each, out Of fats brought from the west from
France and from Italy. The bulk of bogus
butter Is manufactured in the west and sold in
New York to the detriment of the States dairy
interests, many dairy farms having been driv-
Ell ont Of business in consequence. The loss
to the State is estimated at from $5, 900 to
$4,000 900 yearly.
The committee estimates that 100000
hounds of the product are sold annually in the
State and that the illegitimste business is de-
stroyipg the export butter trade, and that the
effect of deception in the trade is detrimental
to the business morals
The committee quotes extensively from evi-
denc3 obtained to show the evil, moral, COM
ercial and sanitary of adulteration. The use
OF nitric and lphurc acids In deodorizing
adulterated butter is particularly condemned.
The committee recommends total prohibition,
after giving time, of the manufacture of oleo-
Cow, asserts the committee, cannot compete
with the dead hog. They also find that 200
0O0 out of 100000 quarts of milk furnished
daily in 1882 ater or skim milk. The
committee recommend the appointment of
state Inspector of milk, aud also recommend
that the officials to be chosen to enforce the
anti adulteration laws be selected from and
represent the dairy interests.
Accompanying the report was bill by the
committee. II prohibits under a penalty of
$500 fos or six months imprisonment the sale
of adulterated milk, keeping OF cows for pro-
duction OF milk in unhealthy condition,
and diluting of milk with water. 1t provides
that every manufacturer of butter shall bring
his name and weight of the butter on the pack
age cans for sale of milk shall be stamped
with the name of the county where the milk
county. 4 penalty of from five hundred to
one thousand dollars and imprisonment for one
year is imposed on the sale or manufacture of
bogus butter or cheese.
The State Dairymen Association is appoin-
ed q commission to enforce the provisions of
The BILL aud 30,000 is appropriated for that
purpo 9.