New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-23
THE LEGAL STANDARD FOR MILK.

FAILURE TO MEET 1T NOT ALWAYS A PROOF OF
ADuLTERATIoN-INJUsTf TO PRODUCERS
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The adu,teration OF milk. either by the add-
ton OF water or OF chemicals designed TO aid It's
keeping qualities. is the gravest OF crimes, ana
should be severely dealt with But may not the
ax,ng OF an Arbitrary standard for milk and the
nn!ng and imprisonment of any one selling mix
which perhaps for only single instance In years
falls below this standard. be an outrage on many
honest men and unworthy OF our enlightened Ideas
OF justice?
or course. as a general thing. milk as 1t cones
from the cow will up 10 this standard ana
above 1t: but for reason not understood the
milk not only OF single cows. but OF whoIe daries
that ordinarily contains a high per cent or fat-h
other words is rich-may fail far below this stand
ard not only for single milking. but for days to-
gether all the conditions of care and feed being
the same TIE kind OF feed is by no means the
sure guarantee Of quality In milk that II was once
supposed to he. Is It not then largely question
of luck with the retailer mddleman or farmer
whose character and milk have always been BE-
yond reproach. whether he may not by chance be
found with milk below the standard and be LA
he 10 fine and Imprisonment without being in the
least guilty The farmer or dealer certainly can
afford chemical analysis OF every can Oh Ink
~ puts on the market. What then, Is 10 protect
honest men? Are they, without reason or any idu't
OF their own, to be held the ineanest OF criminals
be-in all cases the law and II certainly was not
the Intention OF the trainers OF this law to punish
any but those guilty OF adding water to milk after
II came from the COW.
Lest some should say that my statements
about the varlableness of milk as IL comes from
the COW are without adequate foundation. Will
give the best instance that | now recall. Some SIX
or eight years ago the Cornell University Agri-
cultural Experiment Station conducted series OF
experiments with its herd to determine whether or
not II paid TO feed grain to cows al pasture. The
milk of each Individual carefully sampled
after every milking and analysed. At one milk
ing the milk from OF these highly fed cows
and If remember rightly the one to which was
FED the most and best grain, and one ordinarily
giving rich milk-fe.l far below the standard Had
the State inspectors taken sample OF milk OH
that day the officers Of the station would have
been liable 10 the full extent OF the law. In the
cosng paragraph OF the bulletin giving results
OF these tests Professors Roberts and WIng-than
whom there ar higher authorities on this sub
jeci-declare over their signatures that any law
basing proof OF adulteration Of milk on a single
analysis Is unjust. .
Let us have a thorough Investigation and dis
cusslon OF this subject Let the law as II now
stands be enforced in It's spirit and not in the
letter without any regard to justice or the nten-
tlon OF the trainers OF the law. Are not Justice
Jerome's utterances to the wholesalers evidence
that the law il 10 be enforced In right spirit?
EX-MILK PRODUCER.
Mount Kisco. ~ Y. Sept 10. 1876.