Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-10-28
CITY COUNCIL.
Certain Action Taken on Matter of
Milk inspection.
GUARDING CITY'S HEALTH.

City council met at an adjourned ses-
sion last night at the city building. The
question OF creating the office of milk
inspector was under consideration, but
as the ordinance was not complete no
action as to its adoption was taken.
City Attorney Stingle, City Physi-
clan Elder and DR.. Harrison, the COM
mittee ordered by the council to pre-
pare an ordinance, presented an out
line Of the provisions the ordinance
would cover.
There are many difficulties to be
considered In an ordinaHce governing
the creation of the Office of milk in
spector, consequently the councilmen
are celebrating the question carefully.
City Attorney Stingle suggested an
outline covering the ordinance which
was discussed. He suggested that a
fee Of X cent per gallon be levied to
defray the expenses Of the proposed
office, and that the inspector would
nave many duties to perform in add.
tion to the mere inspection of milk,
such as testing butter, visiting dairies,
looking after the condition of housing
the cows and the most important duty,
that of taking the tubercular test. The
question arose as to whether or not
the cows owned by private families,
who in many instances dispose of
small qualities of milk, should come
under the tax levy. 1t was argued that
1t was as necessary for the inspection
of single COW, for the protection of
the public health as for the inspection
of fifty cows.
Suggestions were also offered by the
attorney that the inspection of weights
and measures, food stuffs and vegeta-
bles could be combined with the office
OF milk inspector.
Attorney Summers Burkhart ap-
peared before the council, representing
the milkmen. He argued that a tax
levied on the number of gallons was
unjust and unfair; that the testing of
milk from a dairy of fifty cows would
require no more time than the testing
of the milk from one COW. This man.
ner OF taxation was unreasonable to
the man who had a large number of
cows, which were the means of his
sustenance. He stated that the milk
men were perfectly willing to pay a
reasonable fee for the tubercular test
If it was made by a competent and
skilled inspector, but that they object
ed to an unjust tax on the number of
gallons of their output and especially
to an unskilled inspector.
He suggested that the inspection
fees be based on the number of cows
which was the only reasonable and
just method of taxation. and that if at
any time the milk in the watts was
found to be diseased, each man was
willing to submit to an individual test,
and pay according 10 such test.
A tax of this nature would cause the
milkmen to be careful and If a COW
was diseased they would not put this
cows milk in with the other milk.
which would disease the entire lot and
cause them an enorG-5ds expense
DR.. Elder discussed the different
phases of diseased milk, and explained
that germs could be discovered in a
large quantity of milk as well as a
small lot
A motion was made by Council
man j. A. Hubbs to the effect that the
committee on the ordinance be ordered
to prepare an ordinance creating the
oftice of milk inspector alone, his sal
ary to be paid by a tax to be levied on
each COW. After a short discussion
the motion was passed.
The ordinance will be presented in
complete form at the regular council
meeting next Monday night.