New-York tribune., 1907-01-17
MILK FOR THE POOR.
Diet Kitchen association Needs
Funds to Open More Stations.

TT is a condition. not theory. which con-
fronts u.s." quoted DIR. Thomas Darlington in
his address at the thirty-fourth annual meeting
OF the New York Diet Kitchen Association at
the home Of It's president, Mrs. Henry Willard,
No. 145 West 5Sth street, yesterday after
noon. I'VE are sometimes told that giving
isn't the best thing. that giving food to the poor
doesn't cure poverty he went on THAT may
be perfectly true. but the conditions which con-
fronts us is that there are hungry people in
New York and they must be fed"
good many people suppose that the New
York Diet Kitchen Association distributes vari-
Gus kinds of food to the needy. Mrs Willard in
her address remarked that she wanted to cor
rect that impression. The association is for the
purpose Of supplying pure milk TO the sick poor
OF New York, and the members find that to do
that as thoroughly as they would like to do it
would take more money than they can succeed
in getting hold of at present
Dr. Darlington's speech dealt chiefly with
New Yorks milk supply-what has been done
and what still must be done to make it purer.
He gave few figures, though to show how i'm
possible it is for the average laboring man to
make his income cover the cost of luxuries like
pure milk. which, however is not luxury but
g necessity when sickness comes
When L was practising medicine up in the
'AO4 Ia Oiid VI loNii, lie SdlU, naO q B0Od many
patients among the poor When had written
a prescription for some sick person In a family I
would generally say. all physicians do Now
get this prescription filled, but above all feed
this patient plenty of nourishing food: above all,
eggs and milk Then I'd realize how impossible
1t was for the family to do that Take a laborer
getuns ~ week, and many don't get more.
the two adults. that makes six persons to be fed
three times day. Consider that out OF the
mans SS he must pay rent and clothe his fam
1Yn hat
for his sick wife or child. That is why the work
needed"
DR., Darlington gave some graphic pictures of
conditions he and his inspectors found in some
rural dairies from which New Yorks milk has
come.
THE first place to which we went when we
Oesah inspecting he said. was dairy In
Orange County. There were pools OF putrid
milk on the floor OF that dairy there was a
hospen just outside, and the refuse from that
was manure on the ceiling. on the sides Of the
walls, and the water used In washing the milk
cans cans came from some filthy pools outside We
round several cans or forma ldehyde, used 10 doc
tor the milk so 1t wouldn't spoil on the way TO
the city. and some rich yellow stun TO make 1t
look creamy That place was closed within Il
week But IT Is conditions like those which
must be looked out for and prevented. II is al.
very well 10 pasteurize milk but pasteurizing
such milk / have described would be- 10 speak
plainly, pasteurizing manure.
We are succeeding in our crusade for pure
we now have fifteen visiting dairies and going
through special milk trains 10 examine the sup
ply The Supreme Court has affirmed the IN
spectors right TO revoke a dairynans permit
II in his judgment the conditions of the dairy
call for II. But. next TO securing pure milk, the
important thing is to make II possible for the
sick. the tuberCular people. those who specially
need milk to get It. And there are thousa nds
in this city who cannot buy It: that is why this
Diet Kitchen Association is needed. Why,
wish IL had the money to double and treble its
work would not advocate the city supply
ing milk TO the sick poor: II is not work for the
municipality, but for private charity. But the
Board OF Health is glad and grateful to cooper
ate with the association In its work"
DR. Darlington emphasized his hope that more
people would be moved TO send in subscriptions
to the association, and Mrs. Willard echoed that
hope in her concluding remarks.
Il know OF no charity" she said. where the
money donated goes so directly to the persons
to be benefited. We have no large expenses as
many charities and institutions have. Ex-
cept for our milk stations, which are neat but
plain and the small salaries OF matrons-
which / would be glad to increase-we really
have expenses. The money all so into
buying milk. But pure milk, and we get no
other. costs. as you know. | wish we could
buy more OF 1t. II seems hard TO turn away a
poor anemic person who needs milk. but
fuse him must II he stand on his feet
for at present we can give II only 10 those who
actually down sick
II wish too we could establish more stations
The Board OF Health tells that one is much
needed in The Bronx, but We cannot do that
now"
year, the thrty-fourth annual report covers
only the ten months from January TO Novem-
her l. 1903. During that time there dis
pensed 216,640 quarts OF milk. 9O.640 OF which
were given TO tubcrcular patients; also 81 6T1
eggs. provided by the Board OF Health. The
seventh station was opened last year-the Anna
Barbara htchen-the funds for which were pro-
vided by Mrs William X. Vanderbilt.