The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-03-25
viii Examine Thoroughly Con.
dition of State Diaries and
Analyze Oregon MIX,
AN ANTl,MlcRoBE CRUSADE
Portland win Get the First
Shakeup and ail Sections of
the State VIII BE Wis.
tied by Officers.


the milk have been ordered by tn
! state board OF health. and thus th
first step In the much-mooted erusad
has been taken. What the result wi
be. no prophet has ventured to pre-
diet. but an almighty Shaking up |
possible In the milk business OF ore
gon II the state board rigorousl!
pushes through the ranks OF the milk
men In search OF divers classes anC
varities OF bacteria. and finds the little
disease producers In the alarming
numbers they are alleged to exist.
For the past three days an Investi-
cation. or analysis. Of several samples
of milk has been going on, and much
will depend on the report which will
I follow this investigation. In a measure
II may decide the fate OF the dairies,
II all are enjoined from selling milk
until the dairies are In what the BOARD
considers a satisfactory state, II viii
mean that Portlanders will be forced
to buy tSe canned and condensed va
rlety of lhcteal fluid.
The SCOPE OF the action OF the board
is almost llmitless-in Oregon. After
1t gets through with Portland 1t can
enforce the same procedure in other
places in the state. Just where the
board will stop is now uncertain. Al
most the only thing that can stop 1t is
the expiration OF the terms of Office
Of the members.
What the board Sill consider a
model dairy has also to be determined.
1T must be clean" Is the watchword.
and this seems to sum up the view the
board takes of II. Whether this means
that the interior OF the dairles must
shine like the proverblal Dutch house
wife's pewter or be clean enough for
dairy" is a debatable question.
When the board unllmbers for ac-
tion no quarter will be given. and the
unwary milkman whose dairy is found
to contain spots Of dust and other evil
dences of filth will probably be prose-
outed to the full extent OF the law
"The milk we use Is not fit to drink"
Is. or was, the cry Of the health off,
cials. 1T contains various degrees and
shades of dirt; real oregon dirt" the
goes on, and the board has
made up It's mind that the dirt must
90. The members can't get along with
both, and have decided on milk with
)ut dirt
At the meeting of the city and
county health officers, one of the OFF,
:ials had the temerity to state In the
,ourse OF his address that dirt never
ret harmed children; that infant pro-
ligies had been known literally to eat
Iirt Of the dirty kind, and thrive. But
lis view was not accepted, and the
rusiders are even now furnishing up
auberks, morions, helmets, breast
lates, back pieces, greaves, lances and
ther portions Of the armor they will
rear when drawn up In battle array.
So far the milkmen have watched the
reparations as II were, from afaf,
nd have gone their way, vending the
lilk as they have done ever since the
rst stake was driven In Portland.
erhaps they are content to let the {
storm pile up and burst :
here 1t may. Perhaps they believe
leir milk is all right, and that It will
and any test made OF 1t. Anyway,
OF word has been heard from the
amp Of Portland's dairymen.
The mind of Pure Food Commission
: ]. w. Bailey is not troubled by the
oings Of the state board Of health.
e has stated positively that he would
, nothing in the matter until the
oard presented to him case Of i'm
Ire milk, substantiated by absolute
roof. Then he would act.
In a day or two he and William Nc :
can, state veterinarian, will leave on
tour Of the state to see that the 4
liries and stables are being white
ashed regularly Three or four times :
year, Mr. Bailey says, the dairymen
Oregon whitewash the interior OF
cir dairies and stables, in accordance
ith the law. q
The pure food commissioner 30 far "a
Is failed to find a single sample Of W
llk that was not up to the require
ents Of the law He claims that the =,
Ilk Of Oregon, particularly Of Port
nd, is as good as any in the United
ates, and that the claim Of impurity