The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-12-23
tnoars 70 m GOVERNOR.
Dairy Commissioner Ries Tells ibsut tis EJECT
Of The OlsonarssrisS Law-Hers Protective
IAgialatlon Needed

Dairy CennlssleuSr Ries Tells ibsst tis Eject
Of ths Olsonargsrius Law-Hsrs Protective
Legislstion Needed
The first biennial report OF State Dairy
Commissioner Rice has been filed with the
are contained III the following abstract:
Peculiar difficulties attended the
enforcement OF the dairy law. The
subject OF the legislation was but
little understood. There was not q
chemist who had analysed specimen Of
tho compound at which the prohibitory
enactment was aimed. There was not, 90
far az have learned, physician who had
studied the effects upon tho public health.
Not one lawyer had looked up the authori.
ties in their bearings upon the new ques-
tons which the act awakened, and no judge
had formed an opinion a. to tho jurisdic.
ton and constitutionality OF the act. The
evidences of q scientific nature which
moved the legislature in tho passage of the
bill were altogether foreign to our state.
There was widespread belief among tho
farmers OF Minnesota shared by those
whose relations to the agricultural inter-
ests had directed their attention to the
matter, that there was a gigantic fraud he:
ing pefpetrated upon the producers and
consumers OF dairy products-a fraud bear
ests OF the state. but also upon those OF the
public hoalth 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 1856. This
amount of money was levied as a tax up
on the dairy interests OF the state, which
were comparatively new and unable to
hAo sr ho0 Of c hp,r1 Az
The report then reviews the events which
followed the enactment OF the law, with q
history of the New York test case The Gee.
ton OF the law relating to food for cattle
was found difficult to enforce, and in con-
nection wi tn it the commissioner makes the
FOLLOWING recommendation:
That section 2 OF the law be amended so
that the feeding OF brewers grain, to cows
kept to supply the city markets with milk
shall DO prohibited.
!; In the matter of the adultera ton 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 one herds it wac found
that the lowest percentage was By
per cent. and the highest * per cent
The commissioner recommends raising the
standard to .3H per cent. OF fats to loo
pounds of milk, on the ground that such q
standard is as low as is consistent with
the public health. After reviewing the liti
CATION under the laws and the necessity o
common law in various states the report
concludes with the following recommends
tions:
That the commissioner be authorized tC
seize and confiscate any prohibited article
that is offered for butter. Also. that tn,
commissioner be made n member OF thu
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
ord, submits his reports to COMMISSIONS
Rice. 1t appeprs that out OF 500 stores il
! St. Paul and Minneapolis 800 had beer
engaged in selling Oleomargarine. Th'
first work OF Mr.. Howard was t.
get dealers to dispose OF the stool
on hand, which was accordingly
shipped to Dakota or Montana. The 70
! port then reviews the legal points raiset
Ivy the enforcement OF the law, and give
I correspondence with q number OF dealer
on the results OF the law. The assistan
made 4.57O visits and inspections of tn
goods OF dealers and products of diaries
travelling 1000 miles by livery and Is,
D55 miles by rail.
Secretary w. s. Eberman' g report refer
to work especially attended to by him
By experiments he has found that tn
milk from cattle kept within the city lin
it's is not as rich or as pure rs that iron
the country dairies. This he thinks is du
10 the Objectionable feed given to the cat
tie. He recommends that the law b
changed so that milk from city fed COW
rannot be offerd for sale.