Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-21
MILK REGULATIONS.
Hearing Today on Proposed
Amendment.
DAIRYMEN PRESEN T
MADE LITTLE PROTEST AGAINST
OUTLINED MEASURE
Object to Separate Wagons for Bottles
and Cans-Senator Stewart
Favors Legislation.
DAIRYMEN PRESENT

aAu Sdh6"0CA4aSOl StOW0A
Favors Legislation.
The hearing granted at IL o'clock this
morning by the District Commissioners on
the suggested amendment to the milk regu-
lations to prohibit the filling of milk bot
ties in wagons was largely attended by
milk dealers. dairymen and citizens. Sen
ator w. M. Stewart of the Senate District
committee, who first called the matter to
the attention of the Commissioners and
suggested the regulation. was present and
made the principal argument in favor Of
the proposed legislation. He was seconded
by DR.. w. c. Woodward. the health officer,
and others.
The dairymen made but little protest
against the measure as outlined, but were
present mainly to object to any law which
would prohibit the carrying of milk bottles
and milk cans in the same wagon. They
declared such a law would be most unjust
and unwarranted. and would require an
increased outlay amounting to one-third OF
present expenses. The present regulations
on the subject forbid the reflling of any
bottle which has not been cleaned to the
dairyman's personal knowledge
DR.. Woodward said 1t was very difficult
to enforce this regulation. The milk Is de-
livered at early hour In the morning
when an inspector would have to be imme-
diately on the ground to be able to give
positive testimony as to the condition of
the bottle. OF course when the inspector
appears on the scene there Is no more filling
done. DR.. Woodward said one driver had
recently been detected filling a dirty bottle
and was convicted and fined In the Police
Court. Several other cases are pending.
Senator Stewards Argument.
Senator Stewart covered the matter quite
thoroughly In his opening address. but
added suggestions from time to time during
the hearing. He also questioned several OF
the dairymen who spoke and was question
ed by them In return. The senator declared
it was impossible for a driver to fill bottles
in q milk wagon and do 1t in cleanly man
ner. 1t could not be done without danger
to the consumer. Milk would spill about
the vehicle, on the floor. ETC.. and sour.
Conditions would soon become filthy. He
spoke of the susceptibility of milk to i'm
purities and declared that the, bottling of
the fluid in such surroundings as he de-
scribed exposed it to unusually serious Inn
purities.
Senator Stewart next spoke of the danger
lying in the reflling Of milk bottles from
sick rooms without first having them steri
lized. The thorough washing and purifying
of milk bottles could only be done, he said,
at the dairy where the proper apparatus for
such work Is installed. The senator de-
clared 1t would be easy enough to enforce
the regulation he proposed-prohibiting the
filling of any bottles In wagons. The in
spectors Of the health department would
merely have to visit the diaries to see that
the milk was bottled there. If it was not
so bottled the inference could easily be
drawn as to the bottling of 1t in the deliv-
cry wagons. The senator said his object
in urging the regulation was to protect the
babies of the community. Adults could re-
frain from using milk until they were salts
fed Of its cleanliness. but the little folks
must have it every day. He admitted the
new regulation would bring some trouble to
the dairymen. but not much expense
Boys as Drivers.
1t was stated by Senator Stewart that
many of the drivers Of milk wagons are
boys who have to get up in the early hours
of the morning. They are but poorly paid
and quite naturally do not devote much
of their time to the study of sanitary meth
DDS. They have no particular interest In
humanity either. since they feel they are
right badly dealt with as to the hours of
work. etc. They are not paragons Of
cleanliness. he said. in any sense.
Mr.. H. A. Hall Of the Sanitary League
read of the practices in foreign diaries of
bottling and sealing the milk to protect
1t from impurities He suggested that the
best method of dealing with the matter
is to require the bottling of all milk at
the dairy farms If this were done all
milk could be identified and traced to its
source.
Mr.. J. w. Frizzell. who spoke as a for
mer dairyman and as citizen, said he be-
lieved much of the difficulty experienced
with milk by consumers is due to the prac.
tice of filling unclean bottles in wagons.
From the Dealers Standpoint.
Mr.. E. Clifton Thomas spoke briefly from
the milk dealers point of view. He partic-
ularly wished to protest against any regu-
lation which would require the use of sep
arate wagons for delivering bottled milk
and milk in cans. There might be one
customer along route who desired five
gallons of milk day while the other cen
sumers wished only pints and quarts. One
wagon should be allowed to take care Of
the route. Mr.. Thomas said he did not
know to what extent the filing of bottles
In wagons is practiced: in fact, he did not
know that 1t was done at all. .tf
= Mr.. ]. b. Ager, chairman of the legisIa-
tive committee of the Milk Producers AS
ISOLATION. said the dairymen Of the District
are always anxious to comply with any sug-
gestions tending to the betterment of their
business and the health conditions sur
rounding their milk. He referred to the
fact that the association had recently in
vited the health officer to deliver an ad-
lions made by Dr. Woodward at that time
were thankfully received and would benefit
the business. Mr.. Ager said he had no OBJ
lection to the prohibition of the filling of
clared 1t would be hardship to REQUIRE
each dairyman to have separate wagons
for his can trade and his bottle trade
Separate Wagons Not the Issue.
Commissioner Macfarland stated there
was no proposition before the Commits
sioners to require separate wagons. The
question was as to the filling Of bottles in
wagons.
Mr.. w. w. Johnson. farmer and dairy
man. declared he had about one hundred
customers who provided their own recep-
tacles for the milk. He argued that moth
Ing should be done to prevent dairymen
from filling such orders.
One dairyman objected to Senator Stew
arts remark of Saving the babies from
poison" He declared that the recent agi-
tations and hearings before the Commits
toner's had seriously hurt the milk business
and II folks got an idea that poisoned
milk was being delivered, the business
would still be more seriously interfered
with. He declared there was no poison
in any Of the milk delivered in Washing
ton as far as he knew. Several of the
health department inspectors testified as
to finding few cases OF the refilling Of
dirty bottles.
The Commissioners then took the noatter