The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-14
FARMERS WILLING
TO HELP DR. LEVY
Health Officer Denies That
Dairynen Are Disturbed
Over the Regulations.

Concerning tho report appearing III
one OF the afternoon PAPERS Ses ss.t,,.,;,
that Ecnrico county farmers are much
disturbed over the strict regulations OF
the city Health Department. which, III
was claimed, are so stringent as tol
make the production of milk unpront-
able, DR.. Il. G. Levy, chief health OIL
Ger. has word to say IN denial. or.
Levy states that the report Is ms
leading. and that tho farmers-most
OF .them--have come to his aid In the
matter of clcanly milk for city homes
with the greatest Willingness.
DR.. Levy expressed himself as FOL
lows: !5s;,45 $50.
shave Just read in this atterno,to,nl,,s
News Leader an article, IN Whicl'
under the caption, TOO Strict Tor
I1enrico Farmers" 1T Is stated that
''Henrico farmers are going out of the
milk business, and, If indications count
for anything, 1t Is probable that there
will be a general rise in the price,
Then follows an interview with one
of the farmers aforesaid, In which he
claims: "Wo are prohibited from sell
ing milk in the city unless we nave
the floors of our stables paved with
granolithic -. and, moreover, the
person who does the milking must
wear linen suit"
This article, while doubtless honest
! ly believed in by the reporter. and pos
/ sibly by the farmer who is quoted, is
absolutely misleading. AS the public
| of Richmond should know by this time
| the Health Department Is working hard
tc make the milk supply of this city
all that 1t should be, and the results
which have been accomplished since
May 1st are splendid. We are insist
| ing that the milk shall come from
healthy cows, that it must be pro-
duced and handled in a clearly man
rer throughout, and that 1t must be
cooled promptly and efficiently IN
milk-house separate from the stable
and from any living room. All our re-
quirements look only to these ends.
Clean Suits Only.
True, we do recommend concrete
floors as the best which can be got
ten but in no instance have we in
sisted on them. We do insist that the
| floor whatever its construction, shall
| be kept clean We also recommend
that the mixers wear clean suits,
| which shall be used for no other pur-
rose, but we have not insisted on this,
and the idea that the suit must be
of linen originated entirely in the
fertile brain of the Henrico farmer.
l. In some instances we have found COW
| stables in such wretched condition that
considerable Improvements in construc-
| ton have been demanded in order to
| make 1t possible to keep them clean.
The greatest expense to which any one
| has been subjected has been in the
matter ofaputtng UP milk house,
| Very few. of our producers. had any
| provision of this sort, most of them
| handling their milk entirely In the
stable, and few of them cooling it be-
| fore bringing it into town. The cost
Of a proper. milk house, separate from
] the stable and from any living room,
4 free from dust and COMMUNICATING
'odors. and provided with a suitable
cooler for The prompt and efficient
cooling of the milk" (Which is what
we have insisted on) ranges from $40
] to SIS. or about the cost of q single
4 additional COW ~
Only, n Few. Unclcnnly..
Most pf.Sthe farmers have, shown q
yo=commendahle spirit in meeting
our trequirenlents.a We are, as in MANY
other ways. fortunate in having SO
Large q proportion. of our farmers ma
tue Virslnians, many of them very
tine men, anxious TO do what is right
but some few have preferred 10 &C
out OF business rather than relinqusl
their innate prejuulce against, cleanli.
ness.
p such men can we'll be spared 1t Is
best that they should confine them.
selves to activities in which thei,
methods are less likery-to bring Hines.
and death into our city homes. They
may still bring to- our markets food.
which are either cooked before being
eaten or which. though eaten raw, are
like the watermelon, furnished by ma
= ture with an inch or so of protectiv,
covering. impervious 10 dirt.
1t has been source of much graft
fcation to the Health Department t,
find that almost every man who ha
made the improve ments insisted on o
recommended by us has afterward
said that lie would not willingly g.
lack to the old way.
Whether there will be any rise i
the price of milk 1 do not know. bu
this do know. that milk produced un
der conditions less exacting than thos
upon which we insist Is dearly bough
a; any price.