The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-11
CERTIFIED MILK
IS MUCH DESIRED
Health officer Kiefer Approves OF
Commissions for Inspection
Purposes.

Health onicer Guy L. Kiefer, al
ways a stickler for purity In what
Detroit eats and drinks, believes that
medical commissions, properly con
stituted, for the inspection and Ger
tification OF milk, are essential lnsu-
tutions in any community. he ue
clines TO place his stamp OF approval
on the Watkins and Green milk DIS
recently introduced In the Michigan
legislature In regard 10 the examina'
ton oC milk, for the reason that they
proyide that any Ave registered phy-
sicians may organize themselves INTO
commission, with power TO tell
dairymen to employ an yveterinarian
or chemist whom they may designate
for the examination OF their diaries,
and the additional privilege OF advis-
ing the dalryman what they will re-
fuse TO accept the finding OF the men
who make the test.
IF tn Watkins and Green bills were
amended. as we have suggested,
said DR.. Kiefer, so that the obJec-
tionable features were eliminated, We
should have no fault to find with
them. But we do object, and object
1--WE registered physicians TO form
themselves into a commission for the
inspection of milk; also we offer
strenuous objection 10 the provision
giving the commission the power to
name the veterinarians and chemists
whom the dairymen shall employ for
the inspection of his cows and milk.
with the further authority OF reject
ing the findings of the inspectors.
despite the fact that the test may
reveal that the dairymen's milk may
be worthy of certiflcation. Those
privileges are too broad for the good
OF the community.
What we suggest is that the bills
provide for the local boards Of health.
when they are composed OF two or
more registered physicians, consti-
tute the milk commission for the com
munity, and that in places where the
board OF health doesn't possess two
or more physicians as members, the
state board OF health appoint COM
mission OF medical men. In this way
the public and dairymen would be
protected against any incompetency
and unfair dealing. There would then
be responsible head to the inspec-
ton and when milk was certified as
being up to the standard OF purity
demanded, the public would know
that IL would be getting the best
grade Of milk obtainable when buy
ing the certified article.
The certifcation OF milk is desir-
ed for the feeding of infants and in
cases OF sickness. For these purposes
milk cannot be too pure. Therefore,
II Is essential that the best of inspec-
ton should be made Of dairies and
their product The milk inspectors
OF the Detroit board of health are
now giving this matter careful at
tention, with good results, but there
may be other points where the same
inspection Is not carried out. In
view of this. the proposed milk COM
missions, properly constituted, could
not fail to be a good tnsag for, the
public"
Attorney George B. Yerkes and DR..
w. II. Price, milk inspector for the
Detroit board OF health, recently wens
out to Lansing to fight the Watkins
bill and learned that the Green bill.
said to be an exact duplicate OF the
watkins measure, had passed the low
er house. DR., Price and Mr. Yerkes
then got Senator Guy Miller. OF De-
troit. TO introduce the amendments.
as suggested by DR.. Kiefer. to the
Dill The bill is now pending in the
senate