The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-10-18
Local Milk Dealers Arrange to
Employ an Attorney.
ORDINANCE is TO BE TESTED
Features of Measure Are
Not to Their Liking.
From Fridays Daily.

The Milk Dealers association held
meeting last night in response to a
notice served upon the dealers early
in the week to the effect that th.y
must have their applications for Ii
censes filed by Oct. Is. This notice
was served upon them by Health
Officer Bjelland. Thirteen or four
teen milk dealers were present, and the
meeting was presided over by President
Thomson.
The milkmen did not take definite
action, but there was spirit of hos
tility to the enforcement of the or
dinance shown. Mr.. Thomson agreed
to consult a lawyer and see whether
there would be chance to break the
ordinance in legal proceedings, and
will report at another meeting.
One of the milkmen stated today
that the dealers have no objection to
the tuberculine test or any reasonable
precautions to secure good milk, but
that the ordinance requires some I'M
reasonable things, such as that the
one who milks must change his clothes
and clean the cows udder. He said
that the milk furnished to Mankato
consumers is as clean or cleaner than
is to be found in cities generally. 1t
is strained, and some of it is clarified,
and the creamery uses a separator.
| Tho H. i,,fa hot
there was no sentiment on the part
of the dealers to cease delivering milk
or to cause milk famine. Such talk
on the part of any milkman was sim
ply 'hot air.
Health Officer Bjelland, when< seen
today, said that the ordinance re-
quires nothing unreasonable from the
milkmen. All that it requires is that
clean, wholesome milk be supplied, and
it can be complied with without much
trouble by all the milkmen. 1t ap-
plies equally to all persons who sell
milk in the city, whether to the cream
cry or to individuals. Furthermore, he
said, the ordinance will be enforced.
It's enforcement has now been placed
in the hands of City Attorney Schmitt.
DIR. Bjelland stated that he had
given the milkmen three months in
which to comply with the ordinance
and he has talked and argued and
plead with the dealers, trying to
show them that it was to the interest
of all concerned that pure and health
full milk be supplied, and that such
milk will keep sweet considerably
longer than dirty milk. 1t is to the
interest of everybody that good milk
be supplied.
As for changing clothes, it is only
necessary to slip on clean blouse or
apron before milking. 1t is not re-
quired that the cows be given bath,
but it is required that their udder be
wiped off with damp cloth. 1t is
intended to insure that pure milk be
served, and that it shall not be con-
taminated by dissolved nastiness that
gets on the udder when the cows lay
down.
DIR. Bjelland states that ordinances
|
standing the test of the courts all
over the country. Pure milk is be-
ing demanded everywhere. The en-
forcement of the ordinance is not a
matter of choice with him, nor a
personal matter, but is one of the re-
quirements of the office.
When the milkmen think the mat
ter over, it is believed that they
will comply with the ordinance, the
provisions of which are simple. They
have been getting higher prices for
milk for some time past upon the
strength of the ordinance, yet are
not complying with its provisions.
The first milk dealer who complies
with the ordinance and advertses the
fact will undoubtedly get such a trade
that he will have to double his herd.