The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-03

u seems to Pee pretty wel ceflht Ietrl
'nct -aat rho small dealers. most ,t
vhom were also the rrodgcers rave PEE
res from ue business. alleging that
Ee condition ~ la-.r and tle stau-a-i
~ milk required hy the city were Such
THAT tae business WAS rroltlese.
Hpwevcr taat may ue. the greater part
a. tae citrs supply % milk is controlled
o. two large retail ullk firms the Rich
ucrd Dairy Company and che Rcnui.
Dairy Company. These TWO firms prar-
tical'y control the supf r. and they have
raised Tie price, meaning To- them three
cents more lr.rt tllr taDy ever received
before, hlt tary alsclaiu amy ti.a of n
Irlk trlsl
There may have been uo combination
o. tae TWO nrms under legal procedure.
trt 10 ls eseerted that there is raLflaI
understanding and agreement between tho
two. aui flat creates what ls practically
n trust "a body. which. by mutual agree
uIent. So controls certain commodity
that the price - it may De raised az
WILL That is the situation. as it SIS under
stood. and as 81 seems on tie face OF IT,
that exists in Richmond to-day.
This situation means that hundreds of
the pOoror class - people Win ae forced
to buy condensed milk which is sold
~ fen cents "a can. or for the condensed
milk which is mixed WIKI sugar. AT eigh-
teen or s~venty cents a can Condensed
milk is nor oT the purest. as IL is con-
densed hy system of evaporation that
docs not destroy the bacteria, which an
milk. according 20 its purity, contains in
greater or less quantity
More Vital Question.
There S. however. a deeper and more
vital problem involved The price of
milk IS q minor consideration in relation
20 its purity. and while the heavy in
crease in the cost of production appears
10 warrant an advance IN the rates the
occasion fs being seized for a demand
Tor better milk for better prices" At
tontion is being turned from the milk
dealers themselves 10 the Health Board
OF Richmond. and that some definite step
VIII soon De taken is now very likely.
u was stated last night by DIT J. "
Whitfield. analytical chemist for the
Board Of Health, that the City Council
could frame an ordinance making the
purity standard Of milk higher than II is
now. or put il up 90 the dealers to sell
the milk at reduced price at the SAM.
Standardization The prt~Lt standard
requires that the total solids in milk
should De u per cent solids. Of which
g per cent shall be solids. not fat-tbe
food element 81 milk-and 8 Der cent
fats. not solid. which IS the butter-mak-
ing element and not a food IN the strict
ecuse.
The city Council could frame an ordi-
nance requiring that che standard shall
nc thirteen or fourteen per cent. solids
regulating the food solids at the same
rate Whether this will be done depends
upon public sentiment.
a movement Is on foot. stated pr
Whitneld last night TO have the city
Council frame an ordinance requiring a
meteorological test. such as is required
fu New York city. This would nee
ossitate greater care and stricter caution
on the part of milk dealers. and Il may
ho that the raise ia price is move to
meet the impending ordinance
The passs-<e of such an ordinance. said
~. Whitfield would he of inestmable
advantage 20 tho people Of the city. es-
pecially 10 the babies, as milk ig one
~ the greatest bacteria carriers known
among foods. Practically an dc. rheai dis
eases. so fatal as they are to infancy. are
faused by impure milk and in the larger
eities. before the enactment Of laws re-
ruiring purer milk. thousands upon
thousands Of babies died every year from
the effects Of impure milk.
Milk Did It.
a mother. with tears in her cys. once
TOLD the famous Dr. Osler that IL had
pleased Providence to take her baby from
her. The physician replied that it was
nnfair to blamo Providence. who had
pothing to do with the matter and said
1T was bad milk that Killed your baby"