The Washington herald., 1906-12-23
MILK LAW
Strict Control of Sanitary
Conditions Required.
WILL REGULATE COMMERCE
Stables and Railway MIX Cars 10
De Observation-Disclosures and
Standard MiIk-The Practice of
Separating Cream from SIkim-miIIS.
Methods to Safeguard Health.

The District Committee Of the House
will take up the Woodward milk bill soon
after the holiday recess. The measure.
as It comes 10 The committee from the
District Commissioners. is very carefully
drawn and covers a broad field Of scien-
tific work in the effort 10 maintain the
purity and heaithfulness Of one of the
principal staples Of food. Great labor
has been given to the bill, and by some it
is believed to cover the ground thoroughly
Nevertheless, it is not unlikely that
when the bill is discussed n the commit
tee numerous changes viii be made in the
direction OF stronger safeguards against
disease being spread by unfit milk
Among the members Of the committee
are some who think that the Woodward
bin does not take hold Of the proposition
IN the most advantageous way. They
say that Washington and the District Of
Columbia are ideally situated to make
use OF the interstate commerce principle
in the regulation and control Of the milk
supply of the city All the milk used here
comes practically from Virginia and
maryland except in certain seasons Of the
year. when considerable supplies are ship
ped liz from Philadelphia. There would be
no trouble at all, It is said. TO apply the
interstate power of the general govern
ment to regulate the whole question Of
who should ship milk here and the man
ner In which cars should be operated for
the transportation Of milk.
Sanitary safeguards.
The Woodward bin requires that pro-
ducers Of milk shall cool their milk as
soon as drawn from the cows to a tenn
perature below 80 degrees. and there
after be kept below that temperature
This is a most important requirement
and if strictly enforced viii go far TO
produce the best possible conditions. II
is believed. No person afflicted with q
communicable disease will be permitted
70 work about any stable where milk is
produced for shipment TO Washington.
ANY person licensed 20 send milk into
the city is required TO notify the District
authorities II any such diseased person
is in his employ, or in his family. or
about his premises All cases Of disease
among his cows must also be reported.
The respect in which the bill is said 10
stop short Of what IL might accomplish is
in not requiring by law that farmers
shall have concrete floors in their sta
bles, and wash them down thoroughly
every day. that an stables shall be white
washed twice. or even four times. a year
and that proper ventilating appliances De
employed in every stable. 50 that the
sanitary conditions may be- the best pos
sible.
Much Of the trouble encountered in
controlling the transportation Of milk into
large city is not met AT ALL it is said.
in the pending bill For one thing, the
measure is not strict enough in requir-
ing the cleansing Of cans used to shin
milk and cream.
Some who discuss the bill urge that
Congress shOJ}d make it possible for the
District government 90 maintain a cen
trail washing station where all cans COM
ing into the city might be steamed and
washed by machinery and cIeansed by dis
injecting methods before they are re-
turned 20 the dairy farms in the adjoining
States Farmers would be required TO own
more cans than they now DO, but the
washing Of the cans 10y the city authori-
ties could be SO thoroughly controlled and
So well done with modern improved ma
chinrry that there would be no objection
20 the innovation. The cost Of such q sta
ton would be slight compared with the
advantages secured in safeguarding the
health OF the people Of Washington.
Another matter which Is being discussed
is the need OF compelling the railroads
that ship milk into Washington 90 disin-
feet their milk cars thoroughly and often.
Any one who has ever been inside a milk
car knows what is meant By THIS In the
heat Of summer the stopping and splitting
Of milk, or even the dropping Of milk that
may be on the outside Of cans. soon, BY
the processes of fermentation. produce
a stencil that is almost intolerable. The
conditions are all that could be desired 10