The record-union., 1896-06-27
IN THE FIRST PERSON TO TRUS-
TEES.

The fact has been demonstrated in
one case that some tuberculosis cows
are used for the milk supply of Sacra-
mento, and that such milk fed to chill
dren means that not one of those lit
tie ones will live to reach maturity
just how many Of these cows there are
no one knows, least of all do the dairy
men; for it must be kept in mind that
the dairymen may be entirely innocent
of selling infected milk and yet daily
peddle it out
If the estimate of the United States
authorities is sound, then there are
fifteen such cows in every 100; if the
estimate of the Secretary of the State
there are not less than eight such COWS
in every 100 in California; if Professor
Whitney's estimate is correct, then
there are twenty-one such cows in
every 100 in all places in the middle
belt of the country, where there has
been no treatment to stamp out the
disease. Let US say that we are ex-
ceptionally favored in Sacramento, and
that there are but six such cows in
every 100. Then we have forty-eight
diseased cows from which milk is
daily peddled to the people.
Quite enough, Mr.. Devine; all enough,
Mr. Kent; ground enough for a Board
OF Health purposed scare, Mr.. Leonard; /;
enough, grave and honorable gentle
men OF the City Board Of Trustees, to
lay In morals the charge of murder at
your door, every one of you who stand
in the way of correction, If a single lit
tie one dies of tuberculosis, or pines
away from the effects Of bad milk. Not
legal certainty to charge you with MUIR
der, gentlemen, by no means; but es-
cape from this you cannot, he who has
1t in his power to save life and does
not, kills. That is a coarse way of
putting it, it may be said. Not so; it
is inelegant, but it is the truthful way
of putting it.
In order that the Board Of Health
may be coerced to submit to certain
policies some of you wish carried out,
the diseased milk to be peddled? Yet
will you, gentlemen Trustees, permit
that is just what some of your mem
bers declare shall be done if they have
their way. Shall they have it? 1t is
q very serious question for you to an
swer to your consciences and your God.
-.
appears to run things among you
pretty much as he pleases, who Is re-
ported in print as saying:
No, / will not say that will vote to
create the office of Milk and Meat In
epector regardless of whether the offices
of Plumbing and Sanitary Inspectors
are combined. / recognize the neces-
sity for the creation of Milk Inspector
as much as any man can, but If
should vote for it that would settle
the matter, as the ordinance creating
the Office already has six votes. You
sees / want to hold on to that pull which
I have against the Board of Health. /
anl set on abolishing either the Office of
Sanitary Inspector or Plumbing In
spector, because believe they, as sep
arate offices, are unnecessary. Were |
TO say that / would agree to appoint
the Milk Inspector anyway, the Board
of Health might laugh at US when 1t
came to combining the offices which 1
speak of.
So it is now squarely before your
board, gentlemen, whether you will in
vestigate and act, or will permit tuber-
cufe charged milk to be sold to the peo-
pie. in order that a mortal cinch may
be kept upon the Board of Health. II
is true that some of your board say
they "did not know matters were SC
bad' as even this one case suggests
Unfortunately, there is no law in Cali
fornia against mot knowing; nor for
being ignorant of the experience in
San Francisco with dairy herds a few
weeks ago; nor for not knowing what
happened at Stockton last year; nor fol-
not being willing to accept the results