Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-05-11
THE MILK QUESTION
Experts and Producers Discuss
Problem of Pure Milk for City.
Progressive Agricultural Club OF South
Burlington and SheIburne Is En-
tertaincd at Banquet mt Home
of DE-. and Mrs. MacNIurpby.

About IS members Of the Progressive
Agricultural club of South Burlington
and Shelburne. and guests from Burling-
ton, enjoyed a banquet at the home OF Dr'
and Mrs N. W. MacMurphy of South
burlington Friday evening. Supper was
served from six to eight under the super
vision of Mrs. C. II. White of South Bur
Ington and Mrs. l. G.. Elliott of Shell
br,rne After supper the program began
with piano duet by the Misses Nellie
and Clara Wheeler DR.. C. +. Dalton Of
the state board of health fired the open
,ng gun of a three hour discussion of the
problem of producing and distributing
pure and wholesome milk for the inhabi-
tants of Burlington.
DR.. Dalton said in substance that this
was a subject which has engrossed much
of his attention and interest for some
time past In days gone by Vermont
achieved a great reputation for the quail
fly of her milk and other dairy products.
The dweller in Now York or Boston who
had an infant or an invalid in his family
felt sure that il he could only get Yer
mont milk. he was getting the very best
product obtainable. Lately, however, the
milk of our State has lost this reputation.
People say that Vermont milk is not so
good as it used TO be. Az matter or
fact however, it is not merely as good as
formerly it Is better. But unfortunately.
the standards by which the product is
Judged have risen more rapidly than has
its quality. For example, it was formerly
quite the usual thing to be obliged to
throw away the milk at the bottom of a
bottle or pitcher on account of the dirt
which it contained, and nobody thought
anything about it. Now, however, with
our increased knowledge of the possibili-
ties of milk as a carrier of disease, we dc
not colintenance such a state of affairs
Most Vermont producers have raised the
standard of their product, but there are
unfortunately a few who persist in pro-
ducing dirty milk. And therefore, since the
consumers Judge the quality of the prod
uct, not by the best, or even by the aver
age, they say that it is not so good as
formerly.
1t has been proven beyond shadow OF
a doubt that milk cans carry disease. Fol
example in Burlington there have beer
two epidenics of typhoid in recent years
both traceable to milk and Barre has hat
the same experience. Typhoid is n purely
human disease. No one can possibly hav,
It until he has been infected with germ.
from some person who has. or has had
typhoid fever. Therefore the problem il
not one of keeping the cows clean. but o
keeping the men who care for them clean
The timo is. undoubtedly. coming whel
all milk sold in cities will have to b.
pasteurzed 1t has been said that peop
won't buy pasteurzed milk because the,
are unwilling to pay the price. This :
due to the fact that most people have a
idea that milk is milk They must b
impressed with the fact that there
good milk. and there is bad milk.
The doctor expressed his wish that SON
time Burlington might have municip;
clearing house for milk He then wer
on to say that licenses have to be oil
tanned in order to sell milk in the city. Ac
cordng to law. these licenses can not b
granted until after the diaries concerne
have been inspected and scored. Fe,
health officers or physicians, howeve,
know how to score diaries properly
There should. therefore. be special In