The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-09-18
MILK HYGIENE COSTLY.
obligations on Producers Has Helped
Raise Price of Fluid

One reason why milk costs more than
it used to is undoubtedly the fact that
it is almost invariably distributed to the
consumers in bottles. Men not yet cid
or even mddle-aged can remember when
the milkman brought his product
around to the back door in large tin
can and poured a pint or a quart into
the pitcher or whatever receptacle was
provided by the family.
These cans We're tough and could stand |
rough usage and they had a long life. In |
fact, it would seem that all the cans in
use must have weathered not less than a |
thousand trips, for they were old and
battered and highly disreputable in
appearance Probably no observer on the
sidehnes can recall ever having seen a
brand-new milk can Perhaps the men
in the business bought new can or two
now and then, but they must have played
shiny with them for several months be-
fore putting them into service
The question of sterilizing did not cause
much worry in those days Milk cans
were considered clean unless they We're
known to be otherwise, and there was
little reason for suspicion, because every
one knew that nothing but milk, with pos
sibly a little water in some cases, ever
made it a business to rinse out the cans
twice year, whether they needed it or
not. All this, and many other details Of
the milk business made for economy and
efficiency.
There may be even more efficiency IN
these days, but the old-fashioned methods
of economy have vanished Milk pro-
ducers and vendors are hedged about by
| md
obligations calculated to result in clean
illness and purity that the business has
become expensive But the milkman is
still able to whistle Just as he did in the
old days, for all the added expense is
! passed on to the consumer
! 4 not nconsiderable item in this extra
cost comes from the general use of bottles
and 10 is with some uneasiness that we
may note the practical doubling of this
cost item in the past five years. Prob
ably the fact reported by Mr.. Z. w.
Wooman of Philadelphia may be con-
firmed by milkmen almost anywhere.
Anyway, he is to be regarded as an
authority, for Girard of The Public
Ledger says that he and his ancestors
have been selling milk in Philadelphia for
more than 100 years Mr. Woolman says
that milk bottle now makes only fifteen
trips before it is lost Five years ago a
: bottle could be counted on as good for
thirty trips,
This, we are told, is because the con
sumers are too careless to save and re
turn the bottles Perhaps many house
: wives are using these disappearing bot
ties for ~their pickles and preserves and
one thing and another, under the mistaken
notion that they are working an economy
: But we are by no means convinced that
consumers are entirely to blame for this
y waste. If you will take careful notice
:, you may occasionally observe the traces
! of broken milk bottles along the trai
: from your door to the curb line. The
:. shortening of the life of the bottle from
: thirty to fifteen trips may be due in large
part to the joyous milkman's slippery
fingers
Ii Another reason why milk costs more il
these days is the large demand for it
We are drinking more milk, although thu
= records show that we must be far behin'
our ancestors in the amount of milk use'
in combination with Jamaica, Santa Cruz
and New England rum. : Providenc
Journal.