Evening star., 1901-08-06
FIGHT FOR GOOD MILK
Health Department to Continue Cru
sade Against Impurities.
QUESTION OF GRADING THE DIARIES
Alleged Result Of the Inspections
in Southwest Washington.
VIEWS OF AN OFFICIAL

The health department of the District is
to continue its present vigorous war on
the sale of impure and adulterated milk.
AS result Of the increase In the number
OF food inspectors made by the last Con-
gress four additional men have been avail
able for milk inspection this summer. The
force devoting its time to this work now
consists of chemist, three veterinary sur
geons and three inspectors. 1t has always
been the custom of the health department
to put the force Of food inspectors to work
on the milk supply during the hot months,
but never before has this force been OF
sufficient size to make an appreciable
showing.
The question of making the public ac-
quainted with the findings of the depart
ment regarding the milk inspected to show
both good and bad alike. is one that Health
Officer Woodward has been making a care
ful study of. He is now having prepared
notices which will be forwarded to each
milkman or store where a sample of milk
has been obtained and analyzed, showing
the exact quality Of the milk. This is as
far as it is thought best to go in the direc-
tion Of making public the work Of the de-
partment at this time The dealer can DIS
play this notice IL he SO chooses.
The Grading of Diaries.
The question of grading dairies and post
ing bulletins showing which is furnishing
the best milk, which .the next best. and SO
on, has been discussed, but DR.. Woodward
says there are too many objections to this
method to make 1t practical Of operation.
There would at once be charges of favor
ittSm, and as he would have to take the
word Of his inspectors in making up the
list 1t might result in working injury to
good dairies and good to bad ones in GER
tain, cases.
In one hundred parts of good milk three
and one-half parts should be fat and nine
parts solid matter. The prosecutions this
year have been only Of the dealers selling
milk which fell below three parts fat. DR..
Woodward said to Star reporter today
that If he should have prosecuted dealers
whose milk fell below the required three
and one-half parts fat. as required, there
would have been many more Of them in
court. 1t was deemed best by the depart
ment to first get rid Of the poorest milk.
The standard will be raised to the three
and one-half part test in the near future
Dealers Refuse to Sell.
AS a result Of the milk agitation two
dealers In the southwest section Of the city
today are said to have refused to sell milk
to inspectors. saying that they had stopped
dealing in the article altogether. In each
case the inspector returned to the place
later accompanied by a second Inspector.
second visit. The other still refused. The
law requires this action, and where the in
spectors are not satisfied that they are be-
ing told the truth, action can be brought
and the party prosecuted for not selling
the sample asked for
The dairy division Of the Department Of
Agriculture has prepared plan by which
prominence can be given to those who are
selling the best milk. This plan Is now in
press and will be issued in the near future
Qualities Discussed.
A prominent official Of this department
in discussing the subject with a Star re-
porter today, said:
Whenever attention Is called to the poor
and, sometimes, dangerous milk sold in a
city in violation Of the milk regulations
as has recently been the case in Washing
ton, more or less alarm Is felt by every
milk-user lest the supply he receives Is i'm
pure, and he perhaps looks daily for the
name OF the person from whom he gets his
milk among those who have been in court
to answer charges for adulteration. Ba-
bies and young children who have to de-
pend upon milk for their existence are in
greater danger than others, and it is not
strange that much uneasiness Is felt on
their account.
Fortunately there are good dairies as
well as bad. There are many persons sell
ing milk in Washington who are entirely
capable Of furnishing the best that can be
produced, and who may be depended upon
as certainly as a reliable merchant to sup
ply honest goods. The practical question
to milk consumers Is, who are these de-
pendable mflkmen? The very worst are
constantly being pointed out through tho
courts. but all others, including the very
best, look alike" to most citizens"