Evening star., 1919-04-07
D. c. MILK GUARDED
BY YSTR|NGEN LAW
Seller and Diaries Must Be
Licensed and the Latter
May Be Inspected.
26,Wo GALLONS DAILY

Z6,WU GAllUNS UAlII
Where does Washington obtain its
milk supply? From what territory Is
the supply drawn? How is the milk Used
in Washington households safeguarded
at it's sources? What are the means OF
protecting its purity and wholesomeEess
from the time It comes foaming from the
cows until it appears on the tables OF its
consumers?
These are a few of the questions COM
nlaniing the attention OK residents OF the
District of Columbia just now. AS the
ness arising from the use OF impure
or contaminated milk increases, these
questions and others related to them
will gain in Importance.
1t may be news to great many WASH
ingtonians that the milk supply OF the
National Capital is the subject OF a
separate act of Congress. hedged about
with all the formalitv attaching to legs-
iative enactments of national import
This act. approved March 2. 1895.
provides for all of the legal SAFE
guards thrown about the production
lations adopted by the health depart
ment of the District of Columbia. 1t
is entitled An act to regulate the
sale of milk in the District OF Co.
lum bia. and for other purposes" and
begins. as does every other act OF
Congress whether it be q revenue
measure, a declaration Of war. bill
for raising a national army or what
not. with the declaration, BE 1t en-
acted by the Senate and the House OF
Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled"
etc.
What the Law Povides.
Stripped of it's legal verbiage this
law provides that nobody shall MAIN
tain a dairy within the District of
Columbia. or bring milk or cream into
the District to be sole, without first
having obtained a permit from the
health officer of the District to do SO.
The law further provides that the
health officer shall establish and en-
force regulations covering the 1oca-
ton, management and sanitary condi-
tion of dairies, the product OF which
is to be offered for sale in the Dis
dairies, for their inspection at any
time by authorized representatives of
the health officer, and for revocation
OF licenses if at any time inspection
shows they are not maintained IN such
condition as health department regu-
a!ties for violation of any of Its own
terms or Of regulations promulgated
by the health officer. 1t specifies the
kinds of milk that may or may not be
sold. and goes SO far as to forbid sale
of butter or cheese made from milk
if1cations and to the standard de-
manded by the health officer.
DR.. William c. Fowler, District health
ohcer, says this law. which has been
in effect for more than twenty-four
years. lacks teeth" in some respects
families assert with equal vigor that it's
provisions are so rigid and exacting that
strict compliance with them would re-
suit in such a limitation of Washing
toms milk supply as to make it impos-
sible to furnish as much milk as Is alb
and day out.
Standard Adopted Comprehensive.
To insure that nothing but pure
wholesale milk. free from Contamination
by dirt, injurious bacilli, disease germs,
etc. shall be served to the people Of
Washington the District health depart
spection for all dairy farms outside the
District, the product Of which IL to bt
shipped hero for sale.
This standard covers the farms where
the milk is produced-cows. buildings,
water. workmcn, manner Of milking and
handling the milk; it. covers the method
of shipping. receiving, pasteurizirg. bot
tling. refrigerating and distributing.
A theoretically perfect milk would
grade 100 per cent. Not one Of the forty
four retail and wholesale dealers doing
business in the District Of Columbia
Only three of the dealers sell milk grad
ing above 80 per cent. Twelve Of the
forty four sell milk grading between so
and 20 per cent. Ten sell product that
grades between 10 and 80 per cent.
Nine handle milk that grades between
that grades between SO and so per cent.
according to health department stand
ards Three dealers sell milk that
grades below 30 per cent. one Of these
dealers also handling a product that
grades considerably higher.
Some Pasteurized Milk Grades Low
Thirteen Of the licensed dealers sell
pasteurized milk. and only two dealers
handles pasteurized milk. However, the
product of five dealers selling pasteur-
lied milk grades below so per cent, ac-
cording to the report Of the health de-
partment issued February 2S last. while
two sell "pasteurized" milk that is
graded lower than 50 per cent. Seven
dealers sell ''pasterized'' milk grading
higher thar 60 per cent.
A somewhat anomalous condition is
created by the fact that the law pro-
vides no minimum grade below which
milk may not be sold. Responsibility
for trade names or designations given
by any dealer to his products rests,
within very broad limits: with the
dealer himself. Within such limits q
dealer is at liberty to vary from day
to day the quality OF the milk he sells
without rendering himself amenable
to the law. The health department
of the District does not attempt to
guarantee that milk actually is what
it is labeled or said to be; 1t has no
authority under the law to do so.
Milk Definitions.