The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-12
MOntClair Health Board and
Borden Co. Clash Over
TubsrcuIin Test of Cattle.
BORDEN MAY QUIT TOWN
Threatens TO Stop Serving 1900
Families There on Nov. Is Tn.
less Authorities Medify the
Sanitary Code. Beth Sides
Issue Circulars to Public.

A crisis in the pure milk fight being
waged by the Montelair Board of Health
has arrived. The board is trying to en-
force its stringent sanitary code strictly
and is elashing with the Borden Condensed
Milk Company over one point in the code,
nargelx, the fuberculin test of cattle.
To-day both sides Issued public circulars
on the matter. The health board says
Its code must be followed TO the letter.
and gives the Borden Company until No
veinber Is 10 comply.
The Borden Company says 1t cannot con-
troll certain circumstances SO as to permit
it to obey the tuberculin section of the
code. 1t says 1t will quit doing business
in the town on November 10 unless an
agreement is reached. As it serves $500 out
of $500 families there the situation Is ex-
citing much interest.
The circular issued by the Board of
Health was:
"A crisis having arisen in connection
with the efforts of the Board of Health
to protect the milk supply of the town
from infection, the board feels that its
duty to the public demands a statement
of the facts In the case.
The Borden's Condensed Milk Company
has notified the board that ii cannot COM
ply with one of the most important pro-
visions Of our sanitary code (stated fur
tier onl and that If the code is enforced
the conr1any will be compelled to withdraw
its milk supply from the town. All of the
btflbs 1lllh uSdleTS HOW supply iIB iullh III
Montclair complied with the code some
months ago. The Borden company has
been allowed six months time, and is still
not only delinquent but can give no definite
assurances when, If ever, 1t will comply
with the code. Inasmuch as the Borden
conn any supplies Il large part of all the
milk delivered in the town, an immediate
enforcement of the code would temporarily
deprive many families of milk. The board
has therefore given the Borden company a
still further extension of time (until No
vember 10, 1900, after which the sanitary
protection of the public and justice to ~
other milk dealers make imperative the
enforcement of the code. This extension
of time, it is believed, will enable house
holders to make other announcements Tor
milk and will enable other dealers to pro-
vide the necessary increase in their milk
supply. - .,o etc.
alton Is as follows: The revised sanitary
code of the board. which went into effect
on May 20, 1907, provided that thereafter
all milk sold in Montelair must be from
cows from from tuberculosis Cconsump-
tion'), such freedom to be ascertained by
applying the tuberculin test to each cow
IN every herd. All the dairymen excel
the Borden Company have filed with the
board veterinarians certificates showing
for each cow remaining in their herds the
results of the required tests. TIL Borden
Company has filed certificates for only
about one-third of its cows, and the tests
of IS per cent. of the cows reported on are
unsatisfactory to the board, although these
cows are certified as being free from dis
ease. 1t may be added that several repre-
sentatives of the Bureau of Animal Indus
try. United States Department of Agricui-
ture. agree with the board that the COW in
question should be excluded, and, more
over. that the United States Department
of Agriculture strongly recommends that
all dairy COWS be subjected to the tuber-
eulin test.
The Borden Company has been given
about six months time to comply with the
r6D1Il In ti0nQ nf tho hnRfr1 If 1to- aIrn l,ga-,
given three hearings by the board. At the
last hearing it was represented by counsel
OCharles d. Thompson, a former member
Of this board. who stated most positively
that the company could not test the re-
mainder of Its cows with tuberculin, nor
could 1t exclude from the herds those cows
The milk supplied by the Borden COM
pany is produced in Oxford, Chenango
county, N. Y, some $50 miles distant. The
herds are not owned by the Borden Com
pany, but the milk coming to Montclair,
like that sent to New York city and else
where by the same cmpany, is bought I'M
der contract with the several producers.
The representatives Of the company state
that tho company is In favor of the tuber.
culin test, but that most of the oxford
procncers are opposed to 1t and will not
permA their cows TO be tested. In justice
TO the Borden Company 1t should be stated
that this company has willingly compiled
with all Of the previous ordinances of this
board and has notified the board that it
can comply with all of the terms of the
present ordinance with the exception OF
that relating to the tubereulin test.
The remainder of the milk supply of
Montclair is produced in New Jersey.
Most of the cows furnishing this part of
the supply are owned by the dairymen who
deliver the milk in the town, and are
therefore absolutely under their control.
These local dairymen, as has been stated,
have all applied the tubereulin test. Other
dairymen. who until recently supplied milk
IN town. have withdrawn because they
could not or would not comply with the
sanitary code,
ut would be n1anifestly unfair to permit
one dealer to violate the sanitary code
when all the other dealers, at considerable
expense and sacrifice, have either complied
with the code or withdrawn their milk
from the town. But important as is this
aspect of the case. it sinks into i~nsignif-
canoe when with. the, primary
and vital reason for enforcing the code
the protection of the people of Montclair
from the dangers of milk infected with
tuberculosis. The board. therefore, even
I