The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-06


behind the counter, which is also the
tank in which the soda-mixerS wash
their hands If there is no urgent
need to hurry, the glass is sometimes
given a second rinsing under cold run
ming water, but when there is a crowd
of customers waiting for orders the
second movement of the washing SON
alta is omitted. The spoons also are
washed in this tank, and so are the
cloths which are used to wipe off the
counter.
Now the government gives the own
ers of soda fountains two alternatives.
Either they must provide clean paper
or parafin containers in which to serve
their products, or glasses and dishes
which have been washed first in warm
soapy water and then scalded. Spoons
must be so treated in every case. I'm
less exceptionally clean towels be used,
it is preferred that the scalded uten-
sils be put in a rack and permitted to
drain dry.
Clean Fountains for Camps.
Furthermore, the government in
sists that the fountain itself be kept
clean. There must be no piles of
trash or waste material to attract YER
min; no collection of grease and slime.
and no flies. Syrup tanks and fruit
dishes must be kept covered, and the
supply of cracked ice, used in various
cold connections, must be sanitary.
The government has not taken the
time to get laws passed authorizing
these various restrictions. The men
are already in camp, and soda foun-
tains are springing up in the cities all
about them, with all the lure that was
formerly exercised by the barroom.
Men off duty Immediately make for
the nearest soda fountain. So the mill
itary authorities have taken the law
into their own hands and are supervis-
ing the sanitation of sodas.
Their procedure is this. The health
authorities of every training camp call
meeting of all the soda fountain
owners of the surrounding towns
Then they explain what they consider
are the requirements of sanitary
fountain. After which, they wait for
a week or two. Inspectors are then
sent to each of the fountains in every
town, and if the owner has complied
with the regulations of the health Of
ficers, he is given a card announcing
the fact. The soldiers are instructed
to patronize only the fountain display
ing this card.
At first there were only a few
places where the soldiers could go.
Fountain owners did not appear to be
running race for cards. Then the
few owners who had obtained them
began to advertise the fact in their
store windows and the local news
papers. Soda habitues, suddenly real
izing that they had been taking reck-
|
| drinking from unsterilized glasses, fol-
| lowed the example of the soldiers and
sought the authorized places The
sanitary soda as business asset had
won.
Importance of Clean Glasses.
The United States government,
| however, was not the first to start
| cleaning up the soda fountains The
| danger of carelessly washed spoons
and glasses has been preached by
| health experts for the past three
years, and gradually many states have
! passed laws attempting to insure the
| sterilization of solda fountain utensils
| Tennessee, for example, has recently
| issued the following ordinance:
Provided, that when utensils are
washed by hand they shall first be
| wished in a strong solution of soaD or
some other material with equal cleans
! ing power and that a stiff brush must
be used They must then be boiled
! in clean water for a period of not
less than five minutes and afterwards
placed in clean place safe from dust
| and flies"
The law further provides that live
steam or dry heat may be used as a
substitute for this process When
using live steam the utensils must be
| put in a closed container under at
least ten pounds pressure for not less
than fifteen minutes, and when using
dry neat they must be subjected to a
temperature of at least 365 degrees
| Fahrenheit for one hour.
| II paper containers are used saws
| tennessee, they must be kent in a
place free from dust and dirt. This
i.applieS to all containers used in anv
public business which serves food.
mllk and water, including restaurants
and hotels as well as soda fountains.
| All proprietorS," the law reads will
be given a reasonable time in which to
provide facilities for the proper cleans
ing of utensils, but they will be re-
CURED by the pure food department
to have them by November l."
Health Certificates From Soda Mixers.
Oklahoma goes even step farther
than Tennessee and requires health
certificates from soda mixers. All
workers in ice cream parlors CANDY
and cake factories and soda fountains
must submit to physical examination
or lose their jobs. This particular re-
quirement has raised storm of pro-
test among women workers, especially,
who seem to regard it as a direct per
sonal insult. One man went to the
office of the city authorities and COM
planned bitterly against such an unjust
law. His wife, he said, helped him in
running an ice cream parlor, but he
would not allow her to be examined.
Richmond, Va, has also passed
some recent legislation along similar
lines. In regard to soda fountains and
ice cream establishments, the munich
pal ordinance reads: mo person shall
be employed in or about such places
suffering from cold, sore throat
cough, skin disease, or any other con-
tagious disease"
Other states have not been so strict
concerning sodas as they have con-
corning commercial ice cream which
they regard as particularly dangerous
il not made and sold with the great