New Britain herald., 1916-04-13

poor plum ping. 1 rear that too few people recognize the value of this work
 Milk, Food and Meat Inspection.
 The results obtained by the milk food and meat inspector during the past ten months are exceedingly gratifying. There has been marked improvem in the sanitary con- dtion in and about many dairies. Few people realize the obstacles he has met in getting these dairies cleaned up and certain dairymen to institute better methods in handling of milk, such as, putting in proper floors, drains, hot water facilities, light and ventilation. He has made frequent inspections of the source of the milk supply coming into New Britain, and, during the ten months that the laboratory has been doing milk analysis, has sent in 671 samples of milk, and has personally taken up with the dealer any adverse findings. He has been assisted in the inspection of our 344 food stores and restaurants by the two sanitary in spectors. After April 1st, 1916, store inspection will be divorced from that of milk inspection. This is as it should be, in order that the milk in spector may devote more time to bettering the conditions surrounding the sources of milk supply and the dairies. Even then there will be enough work for a whole time em- ploye.
 I hope the time will soon come when that part of the charter re- ferring to the requirements of the
 
 changed, thus enabling us to employ other than a veterinarian as milk in spector. The need of a veterinarian in the department is very real but he should devote his time strictly to veterinary work, such as inspecting cows and meat, and Investigating conta eious and infectious diseases among animals. The collecting of samples of milk and the inspecting of the sanitary condition of city dairies could be accomplished just as we'll by a layman as by veteri- marian; and the whole time services of a layman could be secured for the, same amount of money that we now pay for the part time services of the milk, food and meat inspector. A full time milk inspector is very much reeded in New Britain
 Among other lines of work that have been undertaken during the year is the spraying of some dumps and ponds in order to suppress the breeding of flies and mosquitoes.
 Prosecutions in all cases have been brought only after all other efforts on our part have failed to secure compliance with our orders.
 I desire to speak of the work of our office clerk Her work is rather unknown to those outside of the de- partment. Without her, I fear that the work would be very flat, for she has instituted a splendid system of records and keeps them up. To her we look for the records of each de- partment, except those of the tuber- culosis department. During the day she received requests for all kinds of information, and she is sufficiently we'll versed in the work of each branch to enable her to give a satis factory answer to the ones seeking the information. In addition, she attends to all of our correspondence.
 With tlfe growth of the departm ent the number of records and amount of correspondence increases. AL ready the work has become too great to be kept up by one person and it has been necessary to employ ad- Gitional help for a week or two from time to time in order to catch up with the bulk of the work. In view of the fact that the work has now been established nearly two years and that we are to have additional help I feel that we shall be able to accom- plsh much more satisfactory work during our third year.
 I desire to thank the members of this board for the aid and encoura ge- ment given the employees in their work, and to acknowledge the as- sstance rendered us by other de- partments.
 Respectfully submitted,
 T. E. REEKS.