The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-02

Advocates Of both OF tho rival milk
bills before tho present General AS
scmbly. at u hearing before the House
Committee on Agriculture yesterday
afternoon. agreed that the public
health should be safeguarded by an
efficient system OF milk inspection. and
that ,dalrymen should have the right
OF appeal from decisions of local in
spcctors, but divided on the compost
ton ana scope of the board OF APP
peal. Supporters OF the Throckmorton
bin insisted that the board of appeal
shall have Statewide jurisdiction,
| clared themselves FOR local self-so
ernmcnt. and special local board OF
appeal for every municipality.
Speakers on the Throckmorton side
were uniform in demanding ii con-
s'stent dairy inspection policy to APP
| ply everywhere In the state. This,
F., they claimed. can only he accomplish
ed by establishing 1. permanent board
which shall hear all complaints and
adjust All differences between dairy
men and inspectors. on uniform
| standard. This board, moreover. they
insisted. must have the power to over
| rule decisions made by tile health de-
partments OF the scparat. cities, and
| must lie the final court Of appeal.
|
Such a system. objected the sup
portcrs Of the Cox bill. which Incident
ally was drawn 1T the instance OF
Chief Health Officer l.. c. Levy. OF
J Richmond. and local dairymcn. would
lower the efficiency OF the milk in
| spcction departments OF the boards OF
! health in the progressive cities OF tho
State, since uniform standard for
| all communities, backward and pro-
gressive, can only mean Il low stand
ard.
! They We're not disposed to abandon
| ground gained at the cost Of much
! Legislation and much expense and
thought that the OILY equitable ar
| ranScmcnt war to permit every COM
spcction laws. and TO provide its own
board OF appeals to hear complaints
arising from their enforcement.
| At o'clock the hearing had not
been concluded. and the committee
voted to hold another session at ,
| o'clock this morning.
TErottlcs the Industry.
/ The present system OF diverse milk
laws, declared Delegate Z. W. Throck.
morton, who opened the argument for
his bill. throttlcs the dairy industry.
/ Conflicting ordinances and various
applications OF these ordinances, nc
| thought, are operating to kill the dairy
| DuslIlcSS ny HcuSln SuTOunu II so man y
restrictions as to make the business
Improbable. He admitted the neces.
SHY Of inspection, but insisted that
| this should be stable and alike FOR
every dairyman In the State. That
milk inspections in tho city OF Rich
mond have at times been arbitrary
and have worked hardships, was. hG
thought, amply proven by the recen,
discharge OF milk Inspector! by the
/ Local BOARD of Health
Weatmoreland Davis. president of
| the farmers institute of virginia
thought that much capital had been
| made. by city health boards in fright
| cning women and children into the
/ belief that the farmers OF the State
| would poison them 81 they got a
chance. The chief health officers OF
cities should not be the final arbiters
of what shall be the standard OF
| purity. archaeological tests. he said
have repeatedly shown the compare
lively small value OF the system OF
card records kept by many or the city
departments, by proving milk which
passed the card test, to be utterly
unfit for use.
The Right Of Appeal.
'"rhe dairylnen of the State demand
tribunal" he said. AT present we
have none If we lodge n complaint
against a city milk inspector, the
court OF appeal is his chief, the City
Health Department. 1t is an appeal
from Philip drunk to Philip sober"
/ Mr.. Davis pointed to Iowa. with dairy
! products amounting annually to $780,.
! 600. 900. and Wisconsin, with 10000, 0Oi
annually. both of them enjoying uni.
form dairy laws. He saw no reason
why Virginia should lag behind witt
an annual production of only $1,000. 900
| when 1t has equal natural advantages
I Frame III a law" he demanded OF
| the committee, (which Will protect the
| citizens OF the state but which will put
| 1t beyond the power Of individuals tc
confiscate our property. Give us nr
impartial board of appeal"
| Driven From Business.
The present restrictive ordinances In
| Richmond, said James Bcllwcod. pres
| ident OF the State Dairymen's Associa
|