Evening star., 1912-09-10
district Health Officials Plan
Milk Prosecutions.
FEDERAL HELP EXPECTED
Agy icultural Department to Be Asked
to Act in States.
TEST CASE RESULT AWAITED
upholding of Decision by Court oe
Appeals Would Improve Stand
ard of Product.

Determined to employ every means :.
its disposal 10 improve the standard -
mix sold In Washington the health d.
partment. IL was announced toda, -
planning to ask the United States De-
partment of Agriculture 10 institute pro-
ceedings In state courts against prn-
ducers whose milk is shipped into the
District of Columbia and which does not
meet the requirements OF the food ami
drug act.
because the department cannot pro-
ceed against dealers I'm the District Po-
nee Court. on account OF a test case that
is pending in the Court of Appeals tn.
Washington health authorities have de
terinined TO ask the cooperation OF the
department of Agriculture i'm an effort
to improve the standard of milk con-
sumed by Washingtonians
No Initiative Taken Here.
The work of the health departments
meteorological laboratory has been de-
voted almost exclusively to the exam
ming OF milk samples. While the De
partment OF Agriculture has prose-
cuted milk dealers engaging in inter
state traffic ii has not of. it's own
initiative, IL is stated. entered similar
prosecutions in the District of Colurl-
bIa Tor the reason that the District
of Columbia health department has
given every attention to the matter
According to announcement by th.
health ONCE. approximately 100 prose
cut1ons against milk dealers on a
charge OF selling aduIterated products
are ready to he filled. but no action
Will be taken until the test case final
ly has been adjudicated This case was
decided in favor of the District in the
Police Court last May and if the de-
clsion is upheld by the Court of APP
peals, the local officials believe they
soon Will be able TO bring about de-
c1ded Improvement in the standard OF
milk consumed here.
The Department OF Agriculture will be
asked to conduct meteorological exanina-
tions of milk samples. just as the health
department does. When an excess number
of organisms is discovered and the milk
Is believed to be below the standard
quired by the food and drug act the de
partment will be expected to institute
proceedings in state courts against the
shipper of the product. The prosecutions
will be brought in Maryland and Virginia
federal courts.
Because of the legal delay, which pre-
vents ii from going ahead with prosecu-
tons of its own. the health department
has asked the Commissioners for perrnis-
sion to eXpend a portion OF the District
publishing in the newspapers the weekly
results of the bacterioloEical laborafoiys
examination of milk samples.
May Ask Advertising Expenses.
1t was announced today that the de-
partment may request the Commissioners
to insert in their next estimates a specia
item to cover the expenses OF advertising
the laboratorys findings each week.
Should the test case he decided in favor
of the District and legal means he insti-
tuted to improve the standard of milk
sold here. the special appropriation prob
ably would not be needed. and, II obtain
ed, would, in all proba hility, be allowed
to revert to the Treasury.
1t is stated by the health department
that the Southern Railway Company j.
planning to install a refrigerator car SER
vice for milk dealers shipping into Wash
ington. The department has been en-
deavoring to get all the railway COM
panies to provide a service of this kind.
Improper cooling of milk. IL is stated. Is
one of the reasons why the product does
not reach consumers in the best of con-
dition and it is believed that the
frigerator car service will accomplish
great deal toward improving conditions
in this respect.