Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-19
BAD MILK FOR BABES.
One Inspector Unable to Fest All the
Shipments to the City.
BUREAU OF HEALTH NEEDS HELP.
Lacteal Fluid Retailed for Less Than the
Wholesale Price.
SOME EXCUSES FOR LDULTERLTION

Chief Clerk McKelvy, of the Bureau of
Health, wants another Milk Inspector
added 10 the force. At present every mo-
ment of Inspector Prices time is occupied,
and he cannot cover the immense territory
within his jurisdiction.
''There is such an immense quantity of
milk shipped into the city," said Mr.. Nc
Kelvy yesterday, that it requires two
hours or more at the depots for the careful
inspection necessary. After that tour
must be made of the retailers, the inspec-
tor being obliged to visit each store where
milk is sold. The amount of adulterating
done by both wholesalers and retailers is
surprising when one considers that each
offense is prosecuted and that the dealers
seldom change. Two hundred gallons of
milk have been officially overturned by In
spector Price since Monday. One hundred
and As gallons were poured out "Wednesday
morning at the Lake Erie depot and s. gal
Ions at the Panhandle depot Monday morn
ing. And that is but one instance of the
immense amount of work our one inspector
does. He is a very efficient and thorough
worker, but it is absolutely impossible for
entire city each day.
Getting Worse All the Time.
''That should be done, as milk is adul-
terated each time it is received, and often
times by every dealer through whose hands
it passes As adulterated milk is danger
ousIy unhealthy another inspector should
be appointed for the sake of the good health
of the city.
NEARLY every gallon of milk used in
Pittsburg is brought in from large dairies
in neighboring counties. Large consign-
ments come in from Washington and West
moreland counties every morning. and after
the inspection is wholesaled to small deal
ers and wagon deliverers. There is little
milk brought into the city by those dealers
who advertise upon the sides of their wag-
ons that all comes from private dairies.
That is one of the many tricks in the milk
dealers trade. Not that the milk so sold is
any less pure than acknowledged agents of
large dairies, but simply to delude their
all the rest and the explanation of the mat
ter is that it nearly all comes from the same
cans"
''How about the adulterations?'
'That is done by many wholesalers, mid
dlemen, retailers and deliverers The |
wholesalers make adulteraIions in large |
and small consignments Sometimes they |
adulterate half a cargo and again only GER |
tain cans As result of this the Inspector |
has learned by experience to inspect each |
and every can at the depots, again in the |
deliverers' wagons and again at the retail |
dealers stores.
Twelve Prosecutions Now Pending
"An cases are prosecuted, and even now |
there are II that have Just been entered |
The penalty ranges from $40 to $50, accord |
ing to the gravity of the offense, and as the |
Inspector must be in court to testify, YOU
see much time could be saved by another
inspector. In that case one could be at |
work continually and through the early
hours of the day when the really hard work
is done. If there was another inspector
much could be gained, as there would be less
adulteration. Some of the dealers adulter-
ate and admit it and excuse themselves by
pointing out the fact that they pay so much
and sell so cheaply that 1t is impossible to
yised to charge more they invar-
iably fall back on the old
excuse of close competition. One woman
on the outskirts of the city was visited
short time ago by Inspector Price and was
loud in affirming that her milk was never
adulterated The inspector was firm, and
when she saw he could not be prevented
from inspecting her milk frankly admitted
that she did adulterate her milk. 4 pay 25
cents gallon for it, she said, and sell it
for cents a quart, and would lose cent on
each gallon sold unless adulterate.' And
that is only one case out of many. An
other inspector is needed, and needed most
badly at that" concluded tine chief clerk.