Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-02
FILES HIS OBJECTIONS
F. r. HORNER DISCUSSES AGITA-
TON OF MILK QUESTION.

Just before the adjournment of the milk
commission at the District building yester-
day afternoon, when the report of the SAM
tary committee of the commission was read,
letter was submitted. from F. r. Horner,
a member of the commission and a prOmi
! nent mink producer, that created quite q
stir. 1t was the enlivening feature of the
afternoon.
Mr.. Horner took exception to the work
of the milk commission, saying that the
undue publicity given the question of pure
milk through the public press is making
the average citizen look upon it's members
as alarmists and theorists; that the agita-
ton had caused consumers of milk to fear
that all milk is laden with disease germs
and as result they have stopped drinking
it. to the great detriment of the milk BUSH
ness
The letter from Mr.. Horner treated tie
subject from five s.andpoints-namely. the
temperature of milk, what the requirements
of certified milk should be, municipal dali
ries, pasteurization and regulations. The
concluding feature Of the letter, IN wnich II
was intimated that the milk commission Is
composed of alarmists and theorists, was
promptly resented in earnest language p5
DIR, Harvey w. Wiley, chief of the bureau
of chemistry of the Department of Agricai-
ture. Dr. Wiley said that for twenty years
he had studied the pure food question, CIV
ing n .rticuIar attention to the betterment OF
the milk supply: that he, like all other men
who dared to step from the paths OF nxeI
opinion and fixed ideas, had been delomi-
mated and denounced as an alarmist theo-
rist and crank. But, notwithstanding this
| he could say that many of those disapprov-
| ed ideas are today accepted as nxeo lacts'
Propounds Query.
"If the milk commission is composed OF
cranks. alarmists and theorists said Dr.
Wiley, "and is not possessed OF the aDii-
| ity to treat this great matter Of purer milk,
| and has not at heart the public heaith'
| especially that of the babies. then what are
we here for? If public sentiment Is NOT pc
| hind this commission for the objects which
we seek our mission will be frultless. !
| boldly state that 50 per cent or the deaths
| of children are directly due to impure mix
have been fighting for twenty years sfaaa'
| deception and aaulteration in foodstuns
/ and shall so continue. want to see all the
| publicity possible given to the subject OF
| Impure milk The people are entitled 70
| know their danger, and unless told or II
through the public press they Will never
Il see the members of The press are pres
ent," he continued. They have been pres
ent at each of these meetings, faithfully
and fairly reporting our deliberations
Have they been asked to leave the room:
If they have have net heard 1t. thfnk
they are welcome and the pubic demands
| their presence and the milk producers and
milk dealers should lend every aid for
giving publicity to the truth and doing al
in their power to aid this body of dis.
| tinguished gentlemen to secure for the Dis
| trict of Columbia pure and safe milk
Upon motion of DIR. John Firman. presf-
dent of the Washington Chemical Society
| a general committee composed of the
| heads Of each of the several committees
| the chairman of the commission. its secre.
tary and as many other members as the
| chair might see fit to appoint were named
as a general committee to consider the
details OF drafting of the milk bill which
will be submitted to the Sixtieth Congress
The additional members who will form
part OF this committee have not been named
by the chair.
The meeting adjourned subject to the cal
| of the president