Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-26
THE VANISHING cows.
Decrease in Massachusetts MIX Produce
tion Relation to Infant Mortality.

in Massachusetts MIX Produce
tion Relation to Infant Mortality.
Mrs. Putnam in the Boston Herald.)
There were 19,57s fewer COWS in Massa-
chusetts In 1912 than m 1906, and of this
number 1892 fell off during the last year.
"A part Of this reduc.ion Is undoubtedly
caused by the fact that some OF the farm
ers have begun to realize the large proper
ton or cows which have been kept In the
past either at an actual loss or without
proht. Fut making due allowance for the
COWS slaughtered because they were UNI
proftable, this great falling off in numbers
Indicates n very serious state Of things.
1t means the destruction of one OF our
largest indt stries to the great loss of tho
farmer. and 1t means, moreover, the i'm
p~ortation OF milk in larger and larger
quantities from more and moro remote
districts to the great detiiment of the con.
sumer.
The secretary of the state board of
health testified before n Legislative COM
mittee recently concerning the extreme
dirtiness of some milk which had come
here from New Brunswick. which milk the
board had no power to destroy. because
1t was only dirty, and there was no
proof that n contagious disease lurkei in
this dirt. OF course, dirt may be whole
some, but as most OF 1t consists OF COW
dung the burden of the proof Of Its
wholesomeness should seem to rest on
those who are opposing legislation to pro-
tect us from just this sort of thing.
Eight milk-born epidemics annually are
our average quota here in Massachusetts,
for in milk legislation as in many other
things we are far behind the majority OF
the other States Of the Union. These
many epidemics are, moreover. of small
Importance compared with the dangers
from milk which is merely dirty and un
fit, and by this unfitness causes much I'M
necessary sickness and permanent Grip
ping among our future citizens.
The only measure we have of such i'll
nesses at present must be calculated from
our infant mortality records. for when
there is a high mortality there is Of
course higher morbidity. In the State OF
Massachusetts our infant mortality has
been III per 1000 babies born during the
year. New York city in spite OF its con-
gestion has reduced its rate of infant
mortality to 102 per 1000. Can Massachus-
etts not do as well as congestcd New
York city? DR.. Theobald Smith stated ut
n recent hearing that much tuberculosis
among children comes from milk, and the
amount of such infection attributed to
this cause increases constantly as the
matter is further studied.
In spite OF this knowledge which has
been brought forcibly before the Legiela-
ture year by year it has refused the pub
lie the protection they need and It Is
little by little destroying the milk in
dustry Of the State. Few clean producers
are to-day getting a price which will
pay them for producing clean milk, be-
cause with the exception of the few peo-
pie who can pay a fancy price very few
consumers are getting an article which
they have reason to believe is clean. Nc
sensible person will p the price which
clean milk should command when he has
no guarantee that he is getting the ar
ticle he pays for.
The conditions described above are not
confined to New Brunswick milk. There
is milk produced right here in Massachu-
sets under conditions which are a dis
grace to the men producing it. These
men are In n small minority. but without
proper legislation their milk is mixed with
that OF the large majority of clean far
mers, greatly to the loss of the latter.
for the whole supply is thereby made un.
safe for human food.
Protection from these few dirty pro.
ducers Is all the consumers are asking
for, and they have asked for five years in
vain, because-and here comes in the sad.
dest of sad facts-unscrupulous men have
used their position to profit politically a.
the expense of the farmers and nave fat.
tened on the lives of little children
These men stand in some of the high
est seats-both in public and In private
bodies of citizens. Deals in the Legisla
~ture-straw bills put up to defeat propel
measures, only to be defeated themselves
when their turn came-have been matter.
of annual occurrence. Many Of the mer
Involved in these deals live within II
miles OF the State-house, and the public
has reelected them year after year.
IF tn people want to save their chill.
dren, If they want to preserve the mill
industry OF Massachusetts now helms
ruined by Its so-called friends, they viii
direct their senators and representative.
measure.
The consumers bill IL House bill 936
and if the public choose it can be passed
this year.