Evening star., 1919-04-08

SlStS tnat no TeidAdtlOH OIL IFS iillh
regulations will be permitted; that |
the same requirements must be met |
today as in former years, so that the |
health of the milk-consuming public |
may be safeguarded. |
Local milk distributors, with prac-
tical unanimity. agree with the health
department except on a single point
the requirement of the tuberculin test. |
Substitute for this a rigid and exact |
ing physical test of all cattle on dairy
farms, the distributors say. and the
District health departments regla-
tions will be all right.
Average Days Consumption.
washingtons daily average milk
consumption. according to the best
estimates obtainable, is about $4,000
gallons. Under normal conditions this
quantity of milk is readily obtainable
from licensed farms in the territory
furnishing this citys milk supply. At
times. however. during extraordinari-
| ly hot weather, or in the fall, when
pastures fail. the licensed dairy farms
furnishing the city's milk cannot pro-
duce the required quantity. Then. dis
| tributers say. it. becomes absolutely
necessary that unlicensed sources Of
supply must be drawn upon If the
city's supply is not to be curtailed.
| Scores of small farmers, the dis
! tributers say. would be glad to avail
themselves of the Washington market
for their milk were it not for the
health departments regulations Cat
| tile on such farms. the distributors
say. would pass the most regid phys
ica1 examination and inspection. The
buildings on the farms are clean, well
ventilated and conform to any regu-
| lations along sanitary lines, with the
possible exception Of the concrete
floors urged by the health department.
but not made compulsory
But 1t might happen, say the dis
tributers, that some of the cows, test
| reaction to the test. when they would
have to be removed from the dairy
herd and disposed of. With cows at
the prices that have ruled for the
las. two or three years. it is stated.
removal Of one or two cows from a
would practically ruin him
Some Refuse to Submit.
For this reason. and for this reason
alone, several Of the largest milk
distributors in Washington assert.
many small producers in Frederick.
gomery counties, in Maryland. and
along the line Of the Southern rail-
road as far as Woodstock, Va, and
down the line Of the Richmond, Fred
lericksburg and Potomac railroad to
the Regulations Of the District health
depd drtment, and the milk they pro-
duct cannot be shipped to this mar
ket-
small farms barred from Washing
ton. the distributors say. but the
product of immense concerns that
ship to Boston, ~, New York. Philadel-
far south as Jacksonville, Fla. is
kept out of this city by these same
regulations. An example cited is a
for several years has had contracts
for supplying the government of the
United States and the. French gov
plants are licensed by the. health
authorities of the company's home
to the concern is inspected with equal
rigidity; and farms, plants. distrib
uting system, desiccating plants. etc;
inspection and supervision. Not
| withstanding all this, however, the
milk sold by the company cannot
legally enter into the ,do,s1at Districts milk
TENS under which it operates differ
| in some respects from the regulations
of the District health department..
Rule F1exibility Desirable.
Local milk distributors declare
q
unvarying rigidity as to recognize no
difference between the milk produced
by the small farmer with two to five
or six cows and the product of
plants such as the one alluded to
require Observation-Disclosures Ger
tain degree of flexibility,. even in
ony 1rt 1f the
Practically without exception, dis
tributers of-rnilk in this city agree in
asserting that regulations that would
test for the present tuberculin test;
that would require absolute cleanli-
ness in the stabling, feeding and
watering and general care of dairy
sanitary methods in milking and han
ding and shipping milk, and that
would require that milk should be
! cooled below 60 degrees Fahrenheit
ture as possible in shipment, would /
serve every purpose and insure that
Washington would at all times have
an adequate supply of pure, whole
some milk at reasonable prices.
At times of exceptionally dry wealth
er. when pastures are burned UP and
grazing is impossible. as has been
said. the supply of milk for Wash
ly curtailed and an actual shortage
develops. At such times it has been
the practice to ship in milk from long
distances-from central and northern
New York, from Ohio or Pennsylvania
dairying points--as well as from up
and down the Shenandoah valley.
Supply Is at Hand.
Milk might be obtained from points |
closer to Washington if the District |
health department regulations were suf- !
ficiently flexible to permit emergency |
use of milk from unlicensed farms. AS |
the regulations are not so flexible, un-
licensed milk at times has virtually been |
smusgled into the city and mixed with |
the milk from licensed dairies.
At times. also. distributors have avail |
cd themselves Of powdered dried milk |
mixed with water. to increase the sup |
ply. This Is the reconstructed" milk |
referred to recently in discussions of |
the local milk situation. The powdered |
dried milk. it is stated. is precisely the |
same as is now being shipped by tons to |
France. to be fed to babies and children. |
Distributors declare that when this |
'reconstructed'' milk is mixed with |
ordinary milk and the butter fat con-
p.