The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-01-09
THE MILK PROBLEM
IS UP TO YOU

going to see that the QuallCy OF the
milk offered for sale is up to stand
ard. They are going to see that
whatever communicates milk is re-
moved or that the milk is removed,
from whatever contaminates it.
They are not intending, to go to ex-
tremes and destroy the dairy in
dustry, nor are they intending to let
unsanitary conditions prevail and
sacrifice in health and loss of the
life of people. They propose to
work for a sane administration OF
the dairy industry to the end that
the public shall have what they pay
for and not quit using this good and
dependable kind of food just because
the quality runs down. Neither do
they propose to let the reputation of
the local milk supply be so injured
that people will form the habit of
buying timed milk produced and
condensed in other communities and
sent to us at high cost because we
cannot fulfill the obligations to our
selves as to cleanliness and quality
and fair play.
Most of the illness of the public
and especially fevers and acute
stomach troubles can be traced to
something in the food or drinks that
should not be there. Much of it is
tracable to contaminated milk, and
when people are sufficiently enlight-
ened to know the effects of such
things and how to avoid them, they
will be glad to take steps to protect
themselves and those that buy their
products.
Strangely enough, many people
are brought up to think that certain
unsanitary things cannot be avoided
andthat because their parents did
not avoid them, they are to be en-.
dured and that no evil consequences
will result. The boy who has seen
his father milk a COW with reeking
flank and allowing bits of it to drop
into the bucket with the milk, &C
cepts that kind of milk as all right
or a necessary evil. The boy who
has seen his father curry the horses
and then without changing or clean
ing his coat or washing his hands, go
and milk the cow and do so by
wetting his hands in milk and then
stripping along in such way as to
keep his hands wet and drippy with
milk and the drip falling into the
bucket, accepts that as all right or
as a necessary evil. If he does not,
he probably avoids the use of milk at
all and eats the butter or the cream
or perhaps declares that he does not
care for any of them.
On some farms this way of hand
ling milk is common practice, and
on many farms what was common
practice a generation ago is not toll
Grated now, because of the educa-
tional work that has been done in
various ways. On many farms and
in many diaries where they were
once unsanitary in handling milk,
they are now very particular, and
take every reasonable and practical
precaution to keep the milk clean
The old way of straining the milk
and dumping out some sediment that
lay in the bottom of the bucket
meant something besides spoonful
of sediment thrown out. 1t mean,
that the real filth wae still in the
milk in solution, and that only the
coarser particles that were washed
clean remained in the bucket to set
tie to the bottom. That same filth In
solution might be the starter Of
typhoid fever or other ilir IS thai
would cost the family hund eds Of
dollars of treasure and re haps the
loss of member and in self protec
ton those practices have been ruiz
down and stopped among the wide
awake people who handle cows
But there are many other thing!
that contaminate milk Washing
milk vessels in water that is no
pure, failing to wash them thoroly
failure to wash and scald them after
milk has grown stale in them, letting
the wind blow dust from the CORA
or pig pens into them, letting thu
COWS drink water that is impure, o,
in their craving for a varied ration
which they do not get, drinking
brown or stained water that stand!
on the ground in the barnyard afte
a shower because it partially salts
fies their craving for fermented sill
food or something with an acid
these are a few of the common
sources of milk contamination.
At Tuesdays council meeting, Cit.
Attorney w. A. Lee read lont
ordinance carefully drawn to cove
all these and many other matters
and the council may decide to pub
lish it to aid them in putting it int
effect, and for the further value !
will have in showing people the i'm
portant things that milk specialist
have discovered in keeping mill
from being contaminated. If thu
ordinance is published, readers will
note that it is very drastic and b.
studying carefully the drastic part
of it, they will be able to see most O
the danger points and reasons TO-
them. None of the severe condi
lions are laid down for meanness o.
for hampering milk producers, bu
only such as have been found neces
sary by Investigations.
What applies to milk offered TO
sale applies equally well to milk pro
duced and consumed at the home
and to milk produced and separated
so the cream can be sold ant
shipped. In every case, the produc
is used by somebody's family, b,
somebody's baby, by somebody's sicl
member of the family, and the SAM
duty we owe to ourselves and ou