Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-03-31

IONS TO make II effectiNe.
The matter of protecting thcl
pocket book" of our citizens is,
of course, important. but milk
that is merely cheap will not dol
it. The price of pure and pro-
tected milk will always be as rea-
sonable as the law of supply and
demand will permit, and this isl
the law which lies at the veryl
foundation of all business. Wei
have the word of the County
Agricultural Agent and OF the
dairymen that such an ordinance
as that proposed by the Rotary
Club would not increase the
price of milk to the consumer.
This is fully borne out by the
experience Of other cities which
have had similar ordinances. LEI
is also borne out by the logic OF
the case. 1t is safe 10 assume
that there will always be compe-
tition in the dairy industry, here1
as elsewhere, and that there will
be manv persons who will con-
tinue 10 prefer raw milk and
others to prefer pasteurized milk.
This competition wiki inevitably
control the scale of prices. and it
has been shown by experience
that a regulated milk supply has
tendency to make milk more
popular and to increase the de-
'nand for it. Therefore, why as.
sumo that the proposed ordi-
nance now before the City Couu-
Gil will do the very thing that the.
testimony shows it fis not likely
20 do? Even if it should; quality
IS of paramount Importance TO
price, and the ordinance would at.
I'll times be open to amendment
70 prevent any injustice to the
public.
Alderman Douw's further oh
ection to the Rotary Clubs or
finance on the ground that it is
too cumbersome and complicat
ID for present conditions i'll this
,ity" is unconvincing, in the alb
cnce of any particulars being
,ointed out. On the contrary,
he State Health Officer, to
whom this ordinance was sub,
nitted, writes: Il do not think
four milk ordinance is too long.
t is up to date in its details. but
does not include any detail
which lacks a background of
'ound experience or scientific
proof"
In connection with this or any
)ther ordinance, it is to be borne
n mind that under present con-
litions there are no regulations
" restrictions of any kind as to
he quality of milk, as to santa
.ion at the diaries, as to whence
he supply comes, who furnished
t, or any other information or
,ecord by which the city can keep
lab on this subject which SO vital
Y affects the health and we'll be-
ng of the whole community.
Other progressive conmuni-
les of this and other states have
already had their awakening in
he matter Of milk regulation.
Now comes the opportunity TO
Annapolis, and it is made most
favorable by the public-spirited
attitude taken by the dairymen
1t the outset. They promptly
showed their willingness and de-
sire to have their milk supply
regulated. and, after careful in
vestigation. endorsed the Rotary
Clubs ordinance as feasible
and satisfactory method for SO
ioing. When, added to this en-
dorsement, it is shown that the
cost of operations is practically
commensurate with the revenue
to be received from license fees,
it is hard to see the advisability
of "scrapping" this particular
measure and substituting for it
one which has not gone through
the same tests as the one first
submitted.
Whatever the form of ordi-
nance decided on. official protec-
ton of the local milk supply
ought to be now assured. for
with the realization that this is
practically synonymous will
public health protection, the de-
uand for II has Inevitably fol-