The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-26
s'NNho to himself 10 law no law doth
need
Offends now law, and is a king in
deed Chapman.

As chairman of the Public Health
Commission of Pensacola have been
asked time and again. why don't your
commission have certain ordinances
passed" or why don't your commits
sion see that certain ordinances are
enforced?"
enough good public health ordinances
I'm our city code to cover all needs for
the present. II they were only enforced.
To the second query, why don't your
commission see that certain ordinances
are enforced?" my answer has been,
1--WE are not policemen"
Six or seven men cannot make
others, whose duty 1t is to enforce
these laws, enforce them. The public
can. and until the thinking element
wake up to the fact that these laws and
ordinances should be, and must be en-
forced. until public sentiment is so
strong that no officer Of the law will
dare fail IN the performances OF. his
duty, until then, and not until then.
will these laws and ordinances cease
TO be broken. I have said that with
one or two exceptions we have good
public health laws. and I propose now
to name these exceptions.
Milk Ordinance a Farce.
Our milk inspection ordinance Is a
farce. II was passed ON June "a, 1903,
when @. @. Goodman was mayor. It
So farce because 1t cannot be en-
forced. Section 8 provides, that the
Inspector Of milk shall have the power
20 open any can, vessel or package con-
tanning milk sold or offered for sale,
whether sealed, locked or otherwise, or
whether In transit or otherwise; and if
upon inspection, he shall find such can,
vessel or package to contain any milk
which has been ADULTERATED or
from which the cream or any part
thereof has been removed, or which is
sold or offered for sale. in violation of
any section of this ordinance, said in
spector of milk is empowered to take a
sample of the same for analysis, etc.
did you catch the joker? No, well you
will. This inspector of milk is. accord
ing to section 1 OF the ordinance. one of
the sanitary inspectors who the board
of health 1--WE have none at presently
shau assign to this particular duty, Ito
be performed by him together with his
ordinary duties as sanitary inspector
but without any Increase in salary
therefor.
Now, this sanitary inspector is given
the power to open any package of milk
and If he finds 1t ADULTERATED,
of that milk for analysis. How in the
world is the sanitary inspector going
TO know that the milk is ADULTER-
ATED? He is not given chemical
reagents with which to test 1t, and If
he were given them he wouldn't know
what to do with them-but he has
got to find 1t ADULTERATED be-
fore it can be examined You can
have all the baby shows In the world
you can read all the articles on
pure food and adulterated food, and
the prevention of preventable diseases,
but If you sit idly by after seeing and
reading these articles. and allow some
unscrupulous milk man to sell you
of its cream, for which you are sup
posed to be paying, milk that is |
swarming with bacteria, you, the gen
eral public, will be the ones to suf- |
fer.
Now, what is the answer? The an
swer is milk ordinance that protects |
you and gives the honest n1ilkman a /
square deal Have such an ordinance I
passed and then see that 1t Is enforced. |
Your public health commission stands
ready to back such an ordinance. In /
tact. one Of its members has an ex-
celient milk ordinance already pre-
pared, but as said before, public SEN
timent IS needed.
Screening Regulations.
Now, let US take up our screening
regulations. We have state law maxi
ing It q misdemeanor for any person
or persons to operate any hotel, board
ing house or restaurant within this
state without keeping all doors, wind
ows and other similar openings in din
ing rooms. kitchens and passageways |.
between same screened, and fixing a
penalty Of fine not exceeding $50 for
each days business conducted in VIOLA
ton OF the provisions Of this act.
The law does not say that after sun