The Washington times., 1917-04-06
MILK DEALERS ARE
BREAKING THELAW
Police Court Prosecutions Fail
to Result in Convictions
of Offenders.
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and is still pending. Health Depart.
ment records show that dealers
against whom cases are pending, have
continued to violate the law, in some
cases openly.
List of Prosecutions.
Among the cases prosecuted by the
Health Department and which appear
on the docket are the following:
November IL, 1915. District. of Co
lumbia VS.. William G. Carter. viola
tion of milk law Continued indefi
nitely."
November Z. 1916. District Of Co
lumbia VS.. William A. Simpson, viola
tion Of milk law. Continued indefi
nitely."
November Z, 1916. District of Co,
lumbia VS.. Charles c. Dade, violation
of milk law. Continued"
December Is, 1916. District of
Columbia VS.. Albert S. Trundle, vio-
lation of milk law. Continued"
December Is. 1916. District of Col
umbia VS.. Albert S. Trundle, violation
OF milk law. Continued"
December Is, 1916. District OF COL
umbia VS.. Albert s. Trundle, violation
of milk law. Continued"
December Is, 1916. District Of COL
umbis VS.. Albert S. Trundle, violation
of milk law. Continued"
December IS, 1915. District of COL
umbia VS.. Albert S. Trundle, violation
of milk law. Continued"
December IL, 1916. District OF COL
umbia VS.. Harry l. Black, violation
of milk law. Continued"
February 21, 1917. District of COL
umbia VS.. Luther Cleveland, violation
OF milk law. Continued indefinitely"
February IL, 1917. District of Col
umbia VS.. w. A. Simpson. violation OF
milk law. Continued Indefinitely"
The five cases against Trundle were
all for separate offenses. although
filed on the same date.
Would Welcome Action
This department will welcome any
action that will settle these cases
that have been. so long pending and
that will punish those who violate the
law" said DR.. W. C. Woodward, of the
Health Department.
This should be done In justice to
the people of Washington, who un-
suspectingly drink this milk from un-
licensed farms, in justice to those
dealers who comply with the law, and
milk producers who conduct their
farms in conformity with the stand
ards required by this department.
These farmers are forced to undergo
considerable expense TO keep their
farms sanitary, their herds tuberculin
tested, and II necessarily costs them
more to produce milk under these
conditions than 1t does the farmer
who fails to comply with the health
regulations. 1t is obviously unfair,
as l see II, to leave these men who
are complying with the law open to
competition from those who do not
comply.
IF the law is capable of being en-
forced, then this matter should be
pushed to q conclusion as soon as pos
sible and all should be made to com
ply with it. II the present law is
not adequate to prevent unlicensed
milk coming into the District, then it
should be 30 established, so steps may
be taken to get law enacted that is
adequate"
The cases actually brought before
the Police Court do,not by any means
represent the total number OF viola
tions OF the law, inspectors for the
Health Department say. Recently
those who have violated the law have
grown constantly more bold and have
continued to bring in unlicensed milk
even after being prosecuted. In some
cases two, three, or four cases have
been instituted against the same man
without having any apparent effect.
Inspectors of the department have
kept constantly on the alert for these
offenders, they say, but have found II
useless to continue instituting pro-
ceedings against the same man for
the same offense, when none of the
cases has resulted in the offender be-
ing punished.
Offenders In Last Week.
1t is known, Health Department
Inspectors state. that milk was
brought into the District from un-
licensed sources during the last week
Some dealers have resorted to the
method of having milk shipped to
nearby Maryland towns under l. fIc-
titious name. and bringing it into
the District in motor trucks.
In a number OF instances dealers
have been frank about violations of
the law, giving as an excuse the fact
that milk from regular sources was
short, and they had to have IL from
some source in order to supply their
trade.
Dealers have advanced the argu-
ment," DR.. Woodward said, that un.
less they were permitted to bring in
milk from these unlicensed sources
in time Of shortage there would be a
milk famine in Washington. My at
titude toward this is that ii is the
dealers business to arrange in ad-
vance for sufficient milk from prop
erly licensed farms to meet his needs
at all times"
A number of cases have been dis
covered where milk has been brought
into the District from farms which
have applied for permits and failed
10 procure them because OF unsani-
tary conditions or untested herds.
Health office inspectors point to
the fact that since permits may be