The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-17
AGAINST UNHEALTHY MILK.
Protest OF Duwamish Farmers and Cit
zens-Fighting . Monopoly.

Protest of Duwamish Farmers and Citi-
zens-Fighting Monopoly.
The farmers engaged in the production of
milk in the vicinity of Seattle are making an ag-
gressive fight on the Dawamish dairy, on the
ground that the bulk of the milk handled by
this company is the product of malt and swilI-
fed COWS. The following petition has been cir
culated in the city, and also among the farmers
and small diaries, and was presented to the city
council last night with 400 or 500 signatures at
tsehed:
We the undersigned producers or consumers
of milk sold in aud about the city of Seattle,
hereby respectfully petition your honorable
That we are informed that large quantity of
milk sold III and about SAID city OF Seattle is
milk produced from cows fed on malt after be-
ing used by the breweries for the purpose of
brewing beer; that it is known feet tnat milk
produced from such feed il very injurious and
conducive to diseases, more especially the all
ments with which infants are affected; that we
are also informed and believe that such malt or
swill milk, which is now being used in said city
and vicinity, Is produced from about eco cows,
which are fed upon the refuse malt from the
breweries. The milk from this num-
Der of cows forms large portion
of the supply at present sold and dis
tributed to the families in the city of Seattle
The sale OF this malt or swill milk IS prohibited
in all regulated cities OF the United States, and
it should be prohibited in the city OF Seattle.
We therefore respectfully petition your honor
able body 10 pass such ordinances will pro-
hibit the sale of such milk, and that such ordi-
nances provide for the appointment of
inspector with the necessary powers to prohibit
the sale and distribution of all such milk, and
all other unhealthy milk, and condemn the
same. And your petitioners will ever pray.
The copy of the petition circulated in the city
was signed by over 300 consumers of milk, COM
prising dealers, owners of small diaries and
well-known citizens, including a number OF
doctors. Health officer Sparkling Endorsed it in
the following language:
The sale of swill and malt-fed milk is in
furious to health and is the cause OF great
number OF deaths from cholera infantum. Such
sale should be prohibited by law.
John Nelson, White river farmer, was inter
viewed ty PosT-INTELLIGENCER reporter in re-
gard to the matter, and said:
This petition has been circulated by CON-
mittee consisting of myself, William Cochrane
and William Kirk patrick, appointed by the
White River Dairy Producers Association, of
Kent. We could have secured thousands of
names if we had the time, but thought this
quite sufficient for the purpose. We have been
forced to this as a matter of self-preservation
from the Duwamish dairy, which is making an
attempt to monopolize the milk business both
here and in Tacoma. This company has re-
Gently been incorporated with capital of $780,
co., and has forced farmers into subscribing for
portion OF its stock by threatening that If
they did not take stock the company
would not take their milk and would
control the trade so they could not find market
outside of it. The company feeds its cows on
malt, as do also many of those who sell their.
milk to it, and this class of feed is cheap, it
to 10 cents per gallon. The farmers who pro-
duce good healthy milk can not stand this I'M
fair competition and we propose to stop it if we
can. We can show by the best authority all
fed on malt is unhealthy and its sale should be
prohibited.