The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-29
DaiIyCOnSumptiOn is Sixty
Five Thousand.
Multiplied by Six it Makes
Quite a Sum.
More Than a Million and a Half Dol
lars Expended Yearly.

estimated, 5000 quarts OF milk are daily
consumed In Providence. and at six cents
per quart would amount TO $1,000. Null
tiply this by 1856 days N the cost OF a
years supply would be 81, 423, 500, which
is quite a tidy sum. As there is much
less ~ 4 consumed at this season than in
warmer weather the estimate Is uDdoubt-
eddy considerably below the daily average
for the year., but at present there are no
means OF ascertaining what that may be, as
the milk inspector has TO rely solely on
the dealers, who make returns hut once a
y~ear-during Februsry-when the con-
sumption is at low eDb The number OF
dealers, 30 far as known, exceeds, as pre-
viously stated, 1000, and includes 81 from
Johnston, 81 from East Providence, 80
from Cranston, 81 from within the city
limits, besides many stores, and aDoit
100 scattering, some coming from Lincoln,
Warren, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Other
places. OF course all the milk these
dealers bring into town is not consumed,
but just what surplus there may be is not
get-at-gbl BILE at present, any more than
the total consumption.
IL IL quite important TO know how much
surplus there is, however, and Inspector
Potter intends to do ii as soon as possible,
for 1t is quite significant as showing that
the natural milk supply is such as 10 pos
itiveiy preclude even a shadow Of rhyme
or reason for diluting 1t. For instance,
the fifth annual report OF the Boston
dairy bureau 10Y that in 1895 a little
over s, 900, 600 cans of milk, each holding
Sl9 Iuaris, were sold and there was a
surplus OF about 1000, 900 caus, or 20 per
cent. OF all the milk received from the
contractors. This signifed, as a glance
will show, much more than the return
ing of IL, COO, 600 quarts CT milk. 1t was
conclusive evidence thar the cows were
generous enough to make the co-opera-
tion OF the pump unnecessary. The same
undoubtedly holds propo,tionately true OF
Providence and while So, 600 quarts OF
milk are sold today the chances are that
5000 or more quarts are returned and
consequently the milk man who adulter-
ates his stock must be a hardened sinner,
as in fact the inspector knows him to be.
And 1t is to get after these sinners that
the inspector is seeking public and private
cooperation today. lime was, only a
few years ago, when a milk inspector was
only a collector of samples at 5000 per
annum and all the specimens were taken
to a chemist for analysis. Today $4,000
per year is appropriated for an inspector,
who Is an expert chemist, to carry
on this important work. He has
a laboratory assistant and meager
apparatus. He Is unable to collect
samples thoroughly and as frequently as
desirable. In fact THE NEWS man told
him of a milk man who ri ,gs a bell, II la
Western style, but he hadn't run across
him.. Boston has three collectors and
each collects 20 samples or more per day,
60 samples being considered the average
daily total. All the Providence inspectors
asks for is one collector at, say, 5000 per
annum. He could tackle the milk men
in the morning and the stores in the
afternoon. A little additional apparatus
for the laboratory would be required,
but 1t would not cost much, ana there
you ale. The benefit to he cor Sumers
would be almost inestimable., Then re-
woke the licenses of violators of the milk
laws and the chances are there would be
few violations. In the big city OF Boston
last year there were only So violations,
and they took in everything a dairy
bureau should look after, and they .ere
all from "out-of-towp.'
The Rhode Island General Assem- bly, Is
asked to amend the law so somebody NAV
appoint a deputy, or collector. AS ii is.
the city may appoint an additional in
spector, at $1,000 per anum, but that is
unnecessary.