New-York tribune., 1900-05-25
PRICES AND PURITY OF MILK.

Urban interest in the milk question is chiefly
twofold. A third dimension might also be added
as- a general principle Every right thinking
man, when he thinks upon the matter at ALL
naturally wishes the producers of this 1nd1s-
pensable food supply to receive fair pay for IT,
And every one who is familiar through per-
sona observation experience with the life
and work and economic conditions of farmers
feels that the prices hitherto obtained by them
for milk have been too low. There has been too
great difference between the price received by
the producer and that paid by the consumer.
The various middemen have been too much
enriched at the expense of both. So much for
the general principle. But the two particular,
concrete and direct points of city interest in
the matter are, first that the milk supplied shall
be pure and healthful and, second, that 1t shall
be as cheap possible
We mention the two points in this order be-
cause the former is decidedly more important
than the latter though it may be less commonly
considered by the general public. Pure milk is
one of the most nourshing of foods; mixture
of chalk and water is worthless, save as an
aid to ansemia. There are of course, those
who assiduously contend that a compound OF
cottonseed oil and lard and stearine, if sur
reptitiousy palmed off as butter, is really pref
erable to butter Such may also argue that the
milk provided it be falsely sold milk, to
| their hundredfold profit. Honest and rational
men will not accept such folles. Healthful
milk moreover is one of the most healthful of
foods for young and old, for III and we'll But,
on the other hand, milk infected with typhoid or
tuberculosis, or drugged with poisonous pre-
servatives." is one of the most dangerous sub
stances that can be taken into the human
system.
This latter consideration causes us to regard
with especial satisfaction the conduct Of the
Five States Association" in moving for "a
higher standard of pure milk" The association
could perform greater service to milk con-
sumers and could in no way more commend
itself to public favor, than by insisting upon
the purity of milk. The phrase standard of
purity is a convenient one. But in fact the
only true standard is absolute purity. Purity is
an absolute, not a relative, matter. 1t Is well
known, of course, that COWS of different breeds
or different diets at different times of the
year will differ in the richness of the milk they
give by many degrees of the lactometer. 1t is
we'll to require that all milk offered for sale
shall be up TO a certain standard of richness,
and that standard may be maintained either by
regulating the feed of the cows by COM
mingling with the thin milk of some the richer
milk Of others But deliberately to water rich
milk down to the minimum, or to effect the
same result by removing some of the cream, is
to perpetrate an abominable wrong, which at
once defrauds the consumer and mperils his
health.
We shall be glad to see the campaign for fair
prices for the farmers go on to complete sue
cess. We shall hope to see a strenuous and
effective resistance offered to any such arbitrary
raising of the price of milk to city consumers as
the Tammany trust has made In the case of ice.
But, above all, as of the highest Importance to
the general public, shall hope to see a con-
vincing assurance that milk is always milk,
and is never skim milk nor chalk and water
nor tuberculosis lymph nor typhoid germs nor
diluted bOracic acid