Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-04-12

to room where food is kept; water
and lavatory conveniences on same
floor as market; proper ventilation
and disposal of garbage, and scores of
other things that will occur to the
good housewife If she insists upon her
dealer keeping his store and his food
as clean as she does hers.
! And why not? 1t is right here we
find the point of difference between
the average shopman and the thrifty
housekeeper. She takes excellent care
of her food for economical reasons,
and he exposes his to every imagina
BILE contamination, because he believes
he can't afford to take. proper care of
it.
To change his viewpoint is the mis-
, sion of the clean food advocate. Con-
vince the merchant that cleanliness
pays, and the battle is won.
Naturally the merchant at first re-
sents inspection, and looks upon it as
an invasion of his personal rights, but
the tactful inspector will respect this
very human characteristic, and over
looking a little i'll nature, endeavor to
convince him that the desire is to help
and not harm him. The utmost pa
tience is often demanded for, as We
said, market Improvement is largely a
matter of education, and that is a slow
process but whenever the desire to do
better is manifest in ever so small be-
ginnings, the merchant has started
upon the right road, and few ever take
back track, hence the wise Inspector
will be satisfied to make haste slowly,
rather than excite resentment by un-
due zeal. Lime upon line, precept
upon precept; here little, there a
little" always watchful; never falling
when a word of commendation has
been earned; just and impartial
should be the rule toward those who
are tryingto do better.
But to the other class--the class of
merchants who nurse their resent
ment who tell you that what was
good enough for their grandfathers is
good enough for them who defy the
city ordinances, and disregard all rules
of sanitation and decency no quarter
should be given, and they should be
prosecuted to the limit of the law, for
there is nothing more reprehensible or
vicious than to deal filthy, germ-laden
food to an unsuspecting public.
All this applies to small towns as
well as to large cities, for the danger
gs OF
Small towns cannot .lways have paid
inspectors, but wherever a womans
club exists there is no excuse for un-
clean markets If a town is incorpo-
rated an ordinance can easily be OBJ
tanned, and some woman can be desig-
mated. or be a volunteer market in
speotcr for the club. If she hasn't the
authority or is denied the privilege
of going behind the scenes she viii
probably be able to see enough on the
outside to get a pretty fair idea Of the
unseen.
There is nothing the unclean shop
breads so much as publicity, and after
few unfavorable reports 20 the club
which is bound TO filter through to the
merchant and the public, IL will be
surprising If conditions do not begin
TO improve.
To do unpaid inspection Is perfectly
feasible in a small town. but il Will
take unbounded courage, the loss. per-
haps. Of some friends, and the oppro-
brium Of being called a "busybody"
but IL one child has been saved from
poisonous contamination by compell-
ing the merchant 10 put his candy un-
der cover; II an epidemic Of typhoid
fever has been prevented by making
him take better care Of his garbage;
and the sale OF Infected meat or tu-
berculosis chickens has been stopped
is the service to humanity not worth
| the Gethsemane2