New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-17
SUSPICIOUS OF BUTTER
A Diner-Out Who breads the Past History
Of His Food.


To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Noticing an editorial in your Sunday
paper asking for the classification by the
state health inspectors OF hotels, restaurants
and other eating places, according . Their
sanitary rating, and realizing the pressure
of objection which would prevent this from
being accomplished the writer wishes TO sus'
gest the following ideas for the bench, Ct the
public safety.
If the health authorities viii not give Us
the benefit of their findings, then TO best
help ourselves let Us glance over the general
items of food served and concentrate our
efforts for improvement by eliminating the
worst faults.
Cooked hot meat should be safe. We caS
quickly pass over these; also boiled or ir'es
potatoes and eggs. The very neat Will pre-
vent contact with the human element we
have to contend with; also it will destroy all
the germs of previous handling. salad ana
cold vegetables should be avoided; use rather
the hot cooked vegetables.
Bread is clean, as the crust may be re-
moved.
Rut our butter which We must have, pre-
sents the one great obstacle which n seems
impossible to protect ourselves from ana
our best efforts should be devoted TO forcing
the proper handling of 1t.
{, If the guest at a hotel dinner, elaneing
carelessly at the innocent piece OF ouier
placed for him to eat, were to secure men,
tai moving picture of that innocent piece OF
butter's travel, adventures and maltrealneht
after leaving the creamery, the butter S0lio
be looked upon as viper and rattlesn'A'
and treated as such
Let us briefly trace the path this o'un
now passes through. II comes from 'hs
creamery to the city in tubs, all clean ana
fresh. to commission merchant or butter
dealer The next demand is 70 have 'ns
butter changed into prints or bars. ms !"
done by removing the butter from me WV
placing the butter in a machine, when WIN
the help of hands produces the desieD
brick or print, loose pieces being packed "
gether, and the final wrapping and placing ~
boxes. This sounds very easy but wher,
and under what conditions is this done ana
by whom? First, in the dealers back roOm
cellar or loft, as convenient. by "hOm.
Cheap labor. Are their hands clean! A''
they healthy? Who can say?
More than this, we have the public prlnt,
ing places where butter is sent to be brieseG
When the bricking is done by an indl'io's
firm there is a chance for percentage -
care. but in the public remoulding estaolsn'
ment, where haste is the one considefaNVD
and butter of every grade is handled, comlns
from every kind of dealers, what are -.
conditions of cleanliness, except upon 'a0s'
IL It
tor is expected TO arrive? Rubbish az
germ bearing refuse are put out oil sigh' ~
the time being. and after the inspection
over things lapse into their former s'@'e -,
90 along as before. This institution Is "O'
even under the control Of the butter nv
chants and these public moulding es'SO,sJ,
ments are 10 be found in lofts, cellars w.
rooms, usually dark and damp. IN.
Can butter carry germs? Authority IA
us it can, and is an excellent medium" -
the guests eating in the finest, highest pr. -.
hotels and restaurants know TINS ~.
hotel or restaurant managers IL is uo' To-.
full or something would be done TO efSu''''
this condition. "a.
But this is not all the painful process ~.
butter must make before u appears ",
"the snow white linen" OF the Fittn 49,
and Broadway hotels and restaurants lei
think not that the location OF the Ut ~,
makes any change in its handing. Ill
be cut upon reaching the hotel INTO sn ass,
squares, which requires further use u 1.
hands. When formed into squares
thrown into receptacles containing N'
water, exposed 20 whatever this furthet
treatment may have in store. Oh, ~nere
the man in this wonderful age OF ae'Ah'S
ment and invention who can solve this prov
lem for this suffering generation and gehsn,sl
tions 10 come, and give US Clean uhns''I a.,
hutter 10 eat? We all love and crave H. o..
49,. uar, il clean. This is a vital issue -
rs hour Of plague. FRANCIS PARAEk.
New York, Aug. Is, 1916.