Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-13
The Clean Milk Crusade,
I.-NationaI Milk Standard
Commission.
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

In 1907 there was established in the
city OF New York a committee known
as the New York milk committee. II
was organized by the Association for
the Improvement of the Condition of
the Poor and started out mainly to i'm
prove the character of the milk fed
to babies OF the metropolis Immedi-
ately after taking up its work the
committee found that a larger and
| more far-reaching problem confronted
it-that of improving the nations sup
ply Of milk. The work it has accom-
'plished in that direction constitutes
| one of the most inspiring achievements
In sanitary progress the country has
| witnessed.
The first step taken by the milk COM
mittee was to demonstrate the value
| of supplying wholesome milk and edu-
through milk stations To this end
It organized the committee for the re-
duction OF infant mortality, for the
purpose OF uniting all the babies well
Through its efforts the $50 agencies
dealing with babies interests in New
York were given a clearing house for
| their labors, and half million pieces
| now being distributed to tenement
| mothers. Out of 1850 babies born alive
and assisted through the first month
| of their lives by the nurses and doctors
| died, which is less than one-t third as
| many as died in the home of the I'M
assisted.
| AS soon as the work of demonstrating
the possibilities of a proper baby-saving
campaig
Farmer Is Shown was well
How to Get Good Milk. t un ' MIX
committee took up another line of en-
deavor. 1t had already proved the value
of a proper milk supply, and now II
| wanted to prove that such a milk supply
was possible. To this end 1t decided to
show the farmer how he could produce
good milk at little or no increase in cost
So the Dairy Demonstration Company
was organized. dairy at Homer, N. Y,
was purchased and rehabilitated for
handling the milk supplied by the farm
ers of that vicinity.
They were paid a half cent more
quart for milk from tuberculin-tested
cows, fourth of cent more for milk
having a low number of bacteria to the
drop and IL fourth of a cent more for
milk rich in butter fat The farmers
were assured that good meth as were
more important than high-priced equip
ment All pals and cans were sterilized
at the dairy for the farmers, and all they
had to do was to put the milk into them
and bring 1t to the dairy. The result OF
this attempt at scientific dairying was
that thirty-fve farmers were converted
from skeptics into enthusiastic supporters
of the clean milk crusade.
Having proved the possibilities of clean
milk in the care of babies and the ease
with which the cooperation Of farmers
in producing clean milk may be enlisted,
the next step was to create commission
made up of the best authorities on milk
in the United States, whose duty 1t would
be to fix a standard of milk for such
states and municipalities as might see fit
to accept it. This commission was or
ganized in 1911. and has had five meet
ings In making up its membership the
names of over 200 men of prominence in
medicine. sanitation, public health and
laboratory work, especially those having
"a national reputation in milk matters,
were considered Among the seventeen
commissioners finally secured to serve
are DR.. w. A. Evans, professor of pre-
ventive medicine in Northwestern Univer-
sity; DR.. John F. Anderson, director hy-
gienic laboratory United States public
health service: DR.. A. D. Melvin, chief
United States bureau of animal industry,
and DR.. John S. Fulton, secretary of the
International Congress of Hygiene and
DemOgraphy.