The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-10-05

prepared a bill which was introduced
in the legislature, giving local authori-
ties the power to suspend the license of
any dealer whenever and for so long a
time as it might seem best for the pro
lection of the public health, and to pro
hibit the sale of the supposedly in
fected milk during the period of sus-
pension. The bill passed the committee
and one chamber, but was killed in the
other. Since that time I have been
gathering material with which TO sup
port another attempt on the same lines.
81 am very glad to know that the
associated boards of health are so much
interested in the matter Of clean, whole.
some milk, and hope that their report
will ~favorably influence the legislature
to grant any legislation which they
may ask to remedy existing evils.
with a view to arousing public in
terest in the necessity of having clean,
fresh milk in place of the kind which
Prof. Sedgwick has often described, l
began some weeks ago an inspection of
the stables of all licensed dealers who
deliver milk in Boston. Most people
are not aware of the fact that a very
large part of the milk consumed in
Boston comes into the city n day and
is distributed the next, and that in the
meantime it is handled more or less
and stored in stables where horses and
other animals are kept. This milk
could be delivered before noon every
day il families would not be SO particu-
lar in insisting on delivery before
breakfast. They wish to have their
milk that number of hours fresher, and
in order to please them the dealer must
store it in his stable until the next
morning. In other words, by insisting
on early delivery they get milk nearly
twenty four hours older, which might
just as we'll have been ks pit in their
own refrigerators away from horses
and other animals,
But to return to the inspectionof
the premises where the milk is stored.
This work was begun Independently,
and without the knowledge that a
similar inspection of stables within the
city limits had been begun by the board
OF health. Thus far nearly all the out
OF town dealers who come into Boston
from Lexington, Waltham, Newton,
Cambridge, Arlington, Chelsea, Somer-
vile, Everett, Oldham, Milton, Hyde
Park, Quincy and other towns, have
been visited and their premises exam
ined. As a general rule the condition of
the stables and surroundings has been
excellent, but in certain cases q state
of affairs has been discovered which
should warrant the immediate prohibi
ton of any further sale Of milk.
SIN one place, for instance, the ice
chest stood within a few feet of the
manure heap, the floor all about was
covered with liquid filth, and the cans
ready for receiving milk were standing
in and on manure. Everything about
the place, inside and out, was in such
a filthy condition that exaggerated de
scripti0n would be d fiji cult. In another
place where COWS as we'll as horses
were kept, there were COWS 90 filthy
that back of their shoulders their color
could only be- guessed at. Such places
are, fortunately, not numerous, and
most of them are without the city
limits. Photographs of interiors and
exteriors of stables have been taken
for use later on. Some have been taken,
also, of some of the COWS.
Milk from such places ought not to
be allowed entrance into the city, and
is to be hoped that We may soon have
power to prevent it,"