The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-03-12

Health authorities and hygiene ex.
perts, at the invitation of the Women's
Municipal League, recently told of the
dangers of impure milk and the cause
OF disease epidemics in the large cities.
Professor Sedgwick of Tech said
that the milk question was of great
importance, since lit is a food product
taken from living bodies and not, like
beef, from dead ones" He advised
some mothers 10 economic on cham
pagne suppers, fine attire and hats and
pay more attention 10 their children"
Charles V. Capen, who lectures on
hygiene at Harvard, said that the chief
difficulty lay in the ignorance of the
great majority of mothers. Dr. Durgin
OF the Boston Board Of health said that
not a week passed without prosecu.
tiOn for selling milk below the stand
ard, and said that the greater part of
the contractors themselves were in
sympathy with milk inspectors in their
work
James o. Jordan, who is an inspec.
tor Of milk, declared that store milk"
should never be fed to babies. He said
that milk receptacles must be guarded
against dirt, and that he had known
OF bottles being used as containers OF
kerosene, broken eggs and waste
scraps
There is no reason why people
should be hysterical when discussing
bee: inspection i'm Massachusetts. The
state has authority TO regulate the sale
OF food products within her boundaries
The state law OF inspection is clear,
and state and local inspectors have am
pie authority TO condemn any article
unfit for food. Wisely, state food
standards throughout the country gen.
orally are uniform with the federal
standard. This is q necessity for the
conduct OF interstate commerce. 1t
appears that in the matter OF beef
Massachusetts authorities have adopted
the federal standard If that is un-
safe It is we'll to know 1t. II there
is a possibility Of spreading disease by
the present methods, nothing short OF
absolute prohibition OF such methods
will be acceptable to the public. De-
scribing any beef as slightly infect.
ed" will not suffice. Non-healthy food
is not wanted at any price. But let US
have the facts. The law stipulates that
meat offered for sale shall be that OF
healthy" animals, properly killed. But
healthy" Is not an absolute term Such
law must be applied on an accepted
standard. The determination OF the
standard OF health in this state ap
pears TO have been left TO the judgment
OF the inspection service. The officials,
in turn, have accepted the standard OF
the federal bureau OF animal industry.
Whether or not that standard is a
proper one, a safe one, is a matter for
scientific determination, rather than
for excited discussion.
Two of the world-girdling fleet, the
New Jersey and Missouri, came into
port in the gray. morning light one day
last week, and ranging up alongside
the navy yard, woke the echoes OF the
old North End by a thirteen gun sa-
lutte to Rear Admiral Swift, the yard
commandant It was the first glimpse
which Bosl onians have had Of the far
famed fleet and the water front dis
played considerable interest in the
brief procession.
The two warships will remain here
several months for refitting.
Both vessels were docked without
trouble within a short distance of the
New York, and within a few hours,
the liberty men were streaming ashore,
for the first time since leaving Glib
raltar. month ago. The bluejackets
were delighted at getting few days
freedom and swarmed over to the city.
for them An effort Will be made to
give the men on the ships some formal
entertainment in the course of their
stay at Charlestown.
During their stay here the world
touring ships will hide their white
paint beneath a sombre coat of gray
so that when they leave for coast man
cuvers I'm the spring or summer they
Will be nearer battle trim than ever
before. The yard is making targets
! for the summer practice in Cape Cod
| bay. where there will be considerable
powder burned and more solid shot
! sunk off Barnstable.
This week the opportunity is given To
see the greatest OF Scotch comedians
at the Orpheum theatre, Jack Lorimer,
who has long since won a place in the
hearts Of the American people. Mr.
Lorimer has a repertoire of Scotch
songs and sayings that is in a class by
itself He holds the stage for long
period at each performance and has the
audience with him every minute OF
the time. He heads truly wonder
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