Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-06
BLAMES THE FADDISTS
Backs Bill to Remunerate Farmers
Whose Cows Are Killed.
ASSAILS TUBERCULIN TEST
Representative Lewis Also Urges
Passage Of Measure to Re-
lieve Dairy Farmers.

THE price Of milk in Washington will
be near the price Of champagne, and that
ought not to be, for some of us cannot
afford champagne" This prediction was
made this morning by Representative
Carlin Of Virginia, who was one of trio
to appear before the House District COM
mittee in favor Of the bill introduced by
Representative Lewis of Maryland. The
bill provides that the District of Columbia.
shall pay the farmers for all cows
slaughtered under the tuberculin test
Representative Carlin fired a few shots
into the health Office of the District Of
Columbia
Representative Lewis spoke in favor Of
the bill. of which he is the author, as
many Maryland farmers have their farms
in his district. State Senator Blair Lee
of Maryland spoke in favor of the bill,
and the hearing closed at noon, after D.
w. Baker, former United States attorney
in the District of Columbia, had ap-
peared, not as an attorney. but as "a
victim of the tuberculin test
Mr.. Carlin's Plea.
Representative Carlin said the District
has all kinds of laws on the subject of
milk. except law to pay a farmer for
cows slaughtered under the tuberculin
test. He also paid a compliment to Vir-
ginia cows:
II think in the District here they are
getting pure milk. l know they are get
ting from us the same milk that Virginia
babies fatten on and grow to manhood
on. but which the health officer says is
fatal in this city. The tuberculin test
means death to so per cent of the COWS
to which it is applied. with the great
expense to the farmer. whose investment
may be wiped out. Therefore some one
ought to pay for the death of those cows
THE District of Columbia not only fixes
the kind Of springs the COWS must drink
from. but tells the farmers what sort of
COW sheds to build, what sort OF food the
cows must eat, and now they prescribe
the tuberculin test. The bill to provide
for some payment to the farmer simply
meets the conditions which have arisen
from the activities of the faddists of the
District of Columbia, and to compensate
the farmer for the slaughter of the
cows.
Assails Health Officer.
'The same health officer who brought
these farmers into business without the
tuberculin test now wishes to wipe them
out with the test. The price Of milk, un-
der the conditions prescribed by the
health officer, will be about the price Of
champagne, and that condition ought not
to exist. for some of US cannot afford
champagne"
Representative Carlin further on in his
argument inferred that the health officer
had never raised COW and might not
know one If he should see one.
state Senator Blair Lee of Montgomery
county, Nd, made the statement that the
farmers of Maryland and Virginia are
subjected to rigid tuberculin test, but
that farmers of New York and Pennsyl-
wanna and far-away states can ship bad
shod test If any test at all, and that tho
present health regulations concerning
dairy products In the District actually re-
suit in discrimination against dairy
farmers near enough to the city to be un-
der the constant watch of the health in
spectors.
Arguments Of Lee.
1T has been admitted to me- said Sem
ator Lee. that the health officer has
not the personnel to make inspections of
these far-away farms. 1t would appear,
then, that these farmers. whose locations
are so far away. can ship their rotten
milk to the District of Columbia and get
If the same rigidity should be exercised
IN their case as is exercised in the case
of Maryland and Virginia farmers the
price Of milk In Washington would
jump"
u. w. Baker said that IL a man wants
to be dishonest he can easily evade the
tuberculin test by doping his cattle
few days before the test is made.