The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-12-23

Dairy Commissioner Rice Tells About the Eject
OF the Ole0margaHine Law-M0re Protective
Legislation Needed.

governor. The main points OF the report
are contained in the following abstract:
| Peculiar difficulties attended the
enforcement OF the dairy law. The
subject OF the legislation was but
little understood. There was not u
chemist who had analysed specimen OF
| the compound at which the prohibitory
enactment was aimed. There was not, 30
far as have learned, physician who had
studied the effects upon the public health.
Not one lawyer had looked up the authori.
| ties in their bearings upon the new ques-
| tions which the act awakened, and no judge
! had formed an opinion as to the jurisdic
| tlon and constitutionality OF the act. The
| evidences OF a scientific nature which
| moved the legislature in the passage OF the
| bill were altogether foreign to our state.
| There was q widespread belief among the
farmers OF Minnesota shared by those
| whose relations to the agricultural inter
| ests had directed their attention to the
matter, that there was gigantic fraud be-
ing perpetrated upon the producers and
consumers OF dairy products-a fraud bear
ing heavily not only upon the financial inter-
ests OF the state, but also upon those OF the
| public health and morals. Investigation
| made by those who were aroused revealed
the fact that not less than four million
pounds ofthese fraudulent products cost
ing the people $500, 900, were sold within
the state during the winter OF 1SS5-S6. This
amount 81 money was levied as tax up
| on the dairy interests of the state, which
were comparatively new and unable to
bear SO heavy because SO unjust burden.
! The report then reviews the events which
| followed the enactment OF the law, with q
history OF the New York test case. The sec.
| tion OF the law relating to food for cattle
was found difficult to enforce, and in con-
nection wi ith it the commissioner makes the
fOllowina recommendation:
| That section of the law be amended so
that the feeding OF brewers grains to cows
kept to supply the city markets with milk
shall be prohibited.
| In the matter of the adulteration Of milk
the commissioner found that it is almost
universal. The law now requires milk to
contain per cent. OF fats. From testing
the milk OF twenty y-one herds it was found
| that the lowest percentage was 3h
per cent. and the highest 4a per cent.
| The commissioner recommends raising the
standard to 3h per cent. of fats to 100
pounds OF milk, on the ground that such
standard is as low as is consistent with
the public health. After reviewing the liti
CATION under the laws and the necessity OF
a common law in various states the report
concludes with the following recommends.
tions:
That the commissioner be authorized to
seize and confiscate any prohibited article
| that is offered for butter. Also, that the
| commissioner be made n member OF the
state board OF health, with special power
to act under the law relating to the conta-
| gious diseases OF cattle.
THE OLEoMARGARINE BUSINESS.
The assistant commissioner, H. c. How
ard, submits his reports to Commissioner
Rice. It appeprs that out of 500 stores in
st. Paul and Minneapolis 300 had been
engaged in selling oleomargarine. The
first work of MIR. Howard was to
get dealers to dispose OF the stock
on hand, which was accordingly
shipped to Dakota or Montana. The re-
by the enforcement OF the law, and gives
correspondence with number OF dealers
on the results OF the law. The assistant
made 4,57O visits and Inspections OF the
goods of dealers and products Of dairies,
travelling 1000 miles by livery and 49,
955 miles by rail.
Secretary w. S. Eberman's report refers
to work especially attended to by him.
BY experiments he has found that the
milk from cattle kept within the city linn
it's is not as rich or as pure as that from
the country dairies. This he thinks is due
to the Objectionable feed given to the cat
tie. He recommends that the law be
changed SO that milk from city fed cows
cannot be offerd for sale.
Minnesotiain's Medal Of Honor.
A writer in the New York World a short
time since mentioned the publication by
the war department OF list Of the persons
who have been decorated by congress for
merit. He prints some OF the records up
on which medals have been granted, and
among others speaks for q Minnesota man
as follows: The first is a picturesque re-
port by Sergt. J. G. Merritt, OF the First
Minnesota infantry, OF the first battle OF
Bull Run, too long to incorporate here,
but most interesting to men who recall
that perplexing signal for five years hos
tilities between the North and the South,
and closing with a letter written twenty
years thereafter by Alexander Ramsey,
then secretary OF war, transmitting to Mr..
Merritt the first medal OF honor, the in
scriptions upon which reads: Congress
to Sergeant John G. Merritt, Company X,
First Minnesota, volunteers" and say
ing further 'This medal is awarded to you
by the war department for gallantry in
the battle of Bull Run in July, 1861, where
you were wounded while in advance OF
your regiment" Mr.. Merritt is now O
do orkeeper in the United States senate.
A bill giving the Manitoba company right
OF way through the Blackfeet reservation
is eported to the house.
The Brainard Tribune says that twice
as many men will be employed in the
Northern Pacific shops as was found neces-
sary last year.
Stearns county has taxable valuation
OF S., 1SS, $40, an increase OF more than q
quarter OF q million dollars within a
year.
Chambers prevails in Kandiyohi county.
Two horses at Willmar were killed and
three others are quarantined.
A Scandinavian anti-saloon society is
organized and actively at work at Will.
mar.
The board OF commissioners OF Clay
county, resolved to cooperate with the
authorities Of Glyndon by offering 81 900
reward for the apprehension and convlc-
ton OF the person or persons setting any
incendiary fires in that village since July
last. ,
The commercial growth and Importance
Of st. Paul can scarcely be better shown
than in a comparative sta atemeut OF the ros-
tai business OF 1885 and for the year
1885. The total business in the Office for
the year was 81, 2S9, 1O2.7S, against So,
e96, ,077.O6 for 1854 gain of 1922
s26.72.
In the supreme court in the State a de-
cision was handed down in the case OF the
| ooeSo0 vo' l. uo NOTUueEH dCluC AS1AA Ao0o
Company. The action was one to recover
q per centum of the gross earnings OF two
sections OF the Northern Pacific for the
year 1885. The decision confirms the rul-
ing OF the lower court, which
was against the railroad company
At Minneapolis Judge Young decides the
famous Oakland addition case in favor Of
the plaintiffs.
A table shows that the bulk OF the men,
bers OF the legislature elect are other than
farmers. OF the 1OS quoted, 40 are farm
ers, lawyers 1S merchants, 6 bankers,
6 real estate dealers, editors, 1contract-
or, carpenters, 1 painter, plasterer, l
pine land dealer, 3 manufacturers, 4 lum.
bermen, lnurscryman. liquor dealer apd
| gentleman.
The following pensions have recently
been allowed to Minnesotans: James
McCorney, Manmiab; Frederick H.
ghilson, Monticello; Michael Siskey,
Courtland. Pensions ncreased-Addison
Phelps. Pryor; John Casterhue, Osakis;
Edward Meyer. Amiret; Erik w. Basnes,
Starbuck; Daniel Erweinger, Fergus Falls.
Pensions feissued- Francis w. Seeley, Lake