The morning times., 1896-08-10
:h0stcom HlIb blRaEIS
Journeymen Ceopers Fighting
Their Further Use.
WHY THEY ARE DOING IT
Claim That They Are Cnciesnly and
Are the steceptacies Of Dfsease-
Have. Called the Attention OF the
Health Officers to the Case-In
40 VIM v

The journeymen ooopers of Georgetown
secon d-han " ba rrels
They claim that In many cases barrels
totally nnfitare used the second time, when
| they really. ought To have been broken up
| and burned They assert that they re-
| model barrels that are Nirty and filthy in
the extreme, and that the use of such
| barrels is a menace to the public health.
| Action has been taken by-tlien, with a
view OF prohibiting the use OF tarrels The
second time, and as a result their efforts
will probablybe tux en- In hand by the health
authorities and only new barrels will be
| used by flour manufacturers and others who
| have occasion to use arrels for an purpose.
ACTION TAKEN
AT recent meeting of the Sourncymcn
coopers the extensive use Of second ma nd
barrels was discussed from every stand
point, and action was taken with a view
OF putting stop to the use OF, what they
! call, receptacies OF filth The Committee
which had been previously appointed to
look into the matter was able to give
the fullest information from the fact that
| i'll remodelling secondhand barrels In the
cooper shops Jlrey could Know their coadL
ton, both before and after coopering.
II appears that in no case where filthy
barrels are coopered are the barrels dis
Infected. The coppers are merely employ
ed TO do such workmanship on the barrel
as will fit 1t for holding its contents. The
barrel, OF course, Is emptisd OF any trash
or rubbish 1t may contain at the time OF
coopering. but to its interior olinss large
percentage of impurities, while at the
same time it may look clean.
aiiilers are iE the Eaiit of taking these
barrels and filing then with flour with
out any further cleansing than that given
it by the cooper. In this case, the mere
sitting of the flour by the cook is not
sufficient to make it pure. Iolasses and
vinegar barrels are not SO apt 10 be un-
clean, because the heads OF these barrels
are hardly ever disturbed until they get
back to the cooper shop Bet second
haDd sugar barrels can be referred to
as being as unclea n as flour barrels
In view OF the facts which the coopers
were able to secure during their work on
secondhand barrels, statement OF the
case was prepared, setting forth the facts.
and this was sent TO the board OF health
with the following
THAT in the discharge OF our duty as
jourDeymcn coopers We feel as though we
were obliged to remodel the old and un-
wholesome barrels, which we now believe
to be one OF the first steps toward con
tagious diseases, and we. The Jo'IrDey ynIen
coopers, will join hand in hand with the
general public to make strong and Wig
orous fight to stamp out the use OF such
barrels. that a re detrimental to the health
of the public
WHAT WAS DONE.
This statement was signed by Edward
c. Holt and David Fl. Stayton, members Of
the JourDcymen Coopers' Association, and
approved by, others Of the craft. a.-
In urging ine beard of health to take
some action In the matter, the Coopers'
Union holds that the only safe thing for the
public health is TO prohibit the use Of
second hand barrels altogether and compel
the millers to use new barrels.
In response to the communication, the
health inspectors have made an investfga-
ton and find that the statements OF tho
Conpers ere true; that there are hundreds
OF barrels used every day for The packing
of food products that are entirely unfit
for such purpose. and an effort will be
made to have the matter rectificd.