Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-20

| the Quduty OI tIc Hulu LII SOIio eases SiiC
impure or poor quality of milk has been
found in the bottles. from which the seals,
placed thereon by the dairymen. have not
been removed Despite this fact, however,
the groceryman claims. he has been COM
PEELED to pay fine In the Police Court.
Complaint Against Health Office.
It is also alleged by the grocers that they
are subjected to needless prosecution. which
savors Of persecution. on the part of the
officials Of the health ONCE. There are two
cases against grocerymen in the Police
Court now, in which the defendants are
charged with not washing the cans in which
the milk was received. The grocers claim
that in these cases the men had poured the
milk out Of the cans while the health office
inspector was present. but that they
finished waiting on the customers who
came in before they cleansed the cans.
The inspector remained in the store but a
few minutes, and then swore out warrants
charging the grocers with not washing
their cans.
It Is alleged that the profits accruing from
the sale Of milk would not Justify the deal
err from continuing the sale and from being
forced to pay excessive fines. The dealers
are in thorough sympathy with the Efforts
Of the health Office to compel the use OF
pure, milk in the District, and would ap-
prove an ordinance that would impose
fine Of 800 instead of IS on a grocer or
any one else who would Intentionally adul-
terate milk, but they do not believe they
should be fined for selling milk they receive
from a dairyman when the purchasing
grocer knows nothing Of its purity. The
grocer depends on the health department to
keep the dairyman in proper fear Of the
law so that he well sell only pure milk.
The matter has been discussed and inves-
tigated by committees Of the Retail Grocers
Association, and many reports have been
submitted. Attempt has been made to find
a remedy for the present condition OF
things. A proposition was made to the
health officer several days ago, it Is said,
in which 1t was provided that grocerymen
should handle only milk in sealed jars. the
seals to bear the name of the dairyman
from whom the milk was purchased, and
the jars to be filled and sealed at the dairy
before being sent to the grocer. The health
officer rejected this proposition and the
matter was considered at the meeting OF
the association held last night. The mat
ter was brought up by Secretary Gregory,
and. after discussion, it was decided to
postpone definite action for two weeks In
order to give the committee time to COM
plete report and in order that final steps
should be taken to reach satisfactory I'M
Outstanding with the health office. All Of
the members of the trade present at the
meeting last night agreed that the grocers
could not continue the handling Of fresh
milk under the present conditions. 1t was
said that at least 95 per cent Of the grocers
Of the city will discontinue handling fresh
milk by September l.
ouoAACSS AdLISIS SOuS1uSI0u.
The meeting of the association was held
at the Jolly Fat Mems Hall, with President
P. D. Otterback in the chair. The secretary
reported the result Of the hearing of the
Commissioners on the matter Of unlicensed
hucksters, or ''squatters,' at the Center
market.
letter was read from the officers of the
Marshall Hall and Mount Vernon Steam
boat Company, in which the company ten
dered the association complimentary ex-
cursion to Marshall Hall on September z
A vote of thanks to the steamboat COM
pany was passed. The question of the aban-
donment of the sale of milk was then taken
up and was curtailed in order to give Mr..
e. A. Stevens, former national organizer of
the National Retail Grocers' Association an
opportunity to address the association. Mr.
Stevens is thoroughly familiar with the
general problems the grocer IL called upon
to meet, and he addressed himself to these
He spoke of price-cutting as one of the
worst evils Of the trade.
Theme Of Mr.. Stevens Address.
EVERY grocers' association should do all
in it's power to keep down price cutting"
he said, "a practice that more often obtains
In this business than any other. Groceries
are the last articles on earth upon which a
person should be compelled to cut prices
They do not. like millinery, go out of fash
ion. nor, like hardware, get rusty and USE
less, but are always in constant demand.
and the whole people must have them Yet
the very articles that sell the most readily
are the ones on which prices are cut. The
public Is perfectly willing you should make
a legitimate profit.
did the price cutter only see the results
OF his action he never would do it, For
price cutting cheapens production Cheap
ening production means lessening of the
quality of goods sold. 1t means Also first
inferiority; second. lessening of the mar
gins of the manufacturer; third, lessening
of the profits of the retailer, and more than
all, a lessening Of the wages of the laborer
or producer.
Every disastrous climax in the CONNER
cial world has invariably been preceded by
a flood of price cutting. with the result
that production Is cheapened and disaster
and panics are sure to follow"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Stevens, ad
dress the meeting was adjourned and an
informal reception was held Mr. Stevens
is connected with large manufacturing
concern, but was national organizer of the
retail erocers for three years. In that
time he Increased the number OF state or
carnations from three to thirty -eight. and
the Importance of the movement was NAT
urally increased. Mr.. Stevens lives In Chi
cago and is actively connected with the
retail grocers' organisations in that city.
Two small colored boys attempted to en-
ter the house of Harry Higham, los d street
southeast. about 1880 o'clock last night.
They were seen before they had effected an