Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-08
CLEANER MILK CANS
MR.. MCFARLAND TELLS WHY
THEY ARE WANTED.
Dealers Will Present Their Side Of Case
at Hearing to Be Held
Tomorrow.

Commissioner Mcfarland today ex-
planned the position Of the health depart
ment and the Commissioners with reference
to the PRONUNCIATION of the health regula-
ton requiring that milk dealers in the city
shall Immediately cleanse the receptacles
in which they receive milk from the coun-
try dairy farms A hearing in opposition
to the regulation has been requested by
several dealers and the Commissioners have
named tomorrow morning as the time Tor
the dealers to present their case.
1.-THE recommendation made by the health
department" said Mr.. Mcfarland, for the
PRONUNCIATION Of a regulation requiring
dealers in milk to clean the receptacles IN
which it is received, before returning such
receptacles to the milk producers. is the
outcome of numerous and bitter complaints
from producers of the condition In WMch
their receptacles are returned to them.
These complaints have been reported by
the inspectors of the health department as
personal observation of such inspectors
which, when returned by local dealers. have
borne evidences of having been used as gar
bage receptacles.
''Others which have not been thoroughly
emptied have remained in the custody OF
dealers in this city until the sour milk has
purified and become fly blown and, when
returned to the farmers. have contained
the rule for receptacles returned to farm
ers to contain sour milk and curds adher-
ing to them
ut Is extremely difficult for farmers to
properly clean receptacles returned in con-
ditions such as have been described. Gar
bage and maggotS can, of course, be re-
moved without trouble, but the sour milk
and the residues left by garbage and mag
gots cling closely to the sides and corners
Of the cans and are with difficulty gotten
away.
I'm some cases 1t Is said that it has been
necessary to air tor days cans returned
from this city in order to free them from
the stencil due to the putrid milk which
they contained when returned.
THE health department is practically I'M
able to determine whether the milk cans
coming into this city have or have not
been properly cleaned and. therefore, If
the farmer is unwilling or does not see the
necessity of devoting to the cleaning OF mis-
cans the very considerable amount of time
which is necessary to secure the removal
Of sour and putrid milk, source of dan
ger to the community is at once estab-
lished.
''Cans as they come into the city are
filled with milk and. therefore. only the
upper portions can be inspected. Small
masses of decomposing milk about the bot
tom, where they are most likely to be.
cannot be seen and these very masses are
the ones that tend to set up rapid decom-
position of the milk and to lead to its In
lection with bacteria liable to cause dis
ease.
"Practically all of this trouble can be
avoided II the dealers In the city will wash
out the remnants Of milk which remain in
the cans which they receive as soon as
such cans are emptied and return them to
the farmers thus cleaned-for the removal
of fresh milk Is not particularly difficult.
TT is reported to me that an effort Is
being made by one OF the local dealers TO
arouse against the PRONUNCIATION of this
regulation the farmers who have hereto
fore demanded 1t. by notifying them that
he will charge them an exorbitant sum for
washing each can If the regulation goes
into effect"