Evening star., 1922-07-22
Milk Control in the District
Assures High Grade Supply

the lowest rating will receive the
least for their milk and may lose a
market altogether.
4 \ 4
Just as an illustration Of the man
ner in which publicity works. one
dealer. who was having lot Of trou-
BILE with milk having a lot of sedi-
ment, which meant all kinds of filth
that might be in the air around the
improve the milk, devised the scheme
Of letting all Of his patrons see what
the tests disclosed. A pint Of each
farmers milk was run through a
strainer in which all of the sediment
was deposited upon a small cotton
disc. These discs were then placed
upon q bulletin board, with the names
of the farmers corresponding. and set
out at the receiving platform, where
all might see: The improvement,
weeks later. was remarkable.
Having disposed of the milk as II
comes to the dealer. other inspectors
carry the work on and score the
dealers upon their handling of the
milk. Milkmen. delivering to the
customer, are stopped just as they
place bottle upon porch and this
bottle is taken to the laboratory for
analysis. The bacterial count is taken
and the percentages Of fats, hctose,
albumen, casein and salts determined.
With the score obtained for the rating
of the dealer added to the average
score of the farmers supplying the
dealer the final rating is obtained.
The board then draws up list OF
all the dealers in the District, sup
plemented by the scores Of the two
previous months. This pamphlet is
mailed free Of charge to all who ask
for it,
Unfortunately. the board is forbid
unbidden, but must await a request.
Any one desirous of having it mailed
to him regularly MAY be placed upon
the mailing list by merely notifying
the board at the District building.
The residents of the District, armed
with the rating of dealers supplying
them, have q far stronger weapon
than all the rules and regulations yet
devised with which to secure a clean,
nutritious. hthlthful milk. If they
find that the milk they are receiving
scores low, they have but to choose
a dealer with a high average. Natural
ly the dealer with the low score Will
begin to use every effort to improve
his milk. After he has exhausted all
means directly under his control and
his score is still down, he will get
after the farmers supplying him.
The only flaw in the system would
come to light II the dealers and
farmers should get together and
mutually agree as to methods. Such
a contingency, however. would hardly
arise, where the business is catering
to a discriminating public. Even this,
however. would not work, as set of
rules could be very easily drawn up
and sanctioned by law.
The District system is ideal in that
the mental attitude of all concerned
is so much the opposite of the other
method involving rules.
Under the latter, with the price set,
the aim is to meet the rules, and
meet them only. Nothing is added;
there is no incentive for greater
effort. Everything would tend to
formulate the attitude of doing as
little as possible for the set return.
Under the District system. how
ever, always the idea is before all
concerned that some means must be
found to improve the product. The
aim is not to look out for the in
bacterium. The bacterium doesn't
ask whether or not certain rules are
carried out. The bacterium can't ac-
cept a little free will offering for a
temporary faulty vision. The bac-
terium Is there to do business. and
it will. and the legions that come
after it.
Even the work of the inspectors in
the field, under the District plan. is
subject to check-up. Regardless of
what they may report, or how high
they might score farmer, the
laboratory test of the bacterial count
will tell whether or not the proper
precautions have been carried out.
The system cannot be beaten, and
that is why the people of the District
can drink their milk and not have the
horrible thought that they are in
viting lot of disease germs to enter
and make themselves at home