White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-03-04
FILLED MILK BILL.


FILLED MILK BILL.
Such a deluge CT new laws are
being enacted by congress and state
legislatures that a person has a hes
~itancy about advocating the passage
of any more, regardless of their
merit, other than bills for repeal OF
some three-fourths or Of the
thousands nominally in force. but
the filed milk measure passed in
the final hours of congress appears
to be n which should have favor
able consideration.
Filled milk is a new term and not
many persons can tell the meaning
offhand. 1t is a definition for a
means of adulterating M of the
most essential Of all food products,
and IL the principle CT government
prevention of sucn inhuman practices
is accepted as sound policy it would
occur that there could be no more
pertinent occasion for its application
than in case of such an essential ar
ticle of children's diet than milk.
The butter fat from cows milk IS
removed and in its place is substi-
tuted cocoanut oil. an imported prod
uct from the Orient. 1t is a taste
less and odorless substance, which
leaves no trace for detection with the
ordinary use of the milk after ii has
been put in. The milk then Is eon-
densed and canned. the same as con
densed milk with the buttorfat left
in il. The value CT cocoanut oil is
j 2 cents a pound and that of butter
ia. A. cents.
This alone makes il a plain case
of stealing SO cents from every pur
chaser of the quantity Of milk con-
tanning one pound Of butterfat and
replaced with the same weight OF
cocoauut oil.
But that Is the least of the Of
lenses. The milk Is robbed of the
yitamines, which are the nutritious
or vital element for babes and young
children, this for the benefit of the
manufacturers carrying on this plain
thievery. Experiments with animals
and children have shown that the
absence of yiiamines retards growth
and development at the time Of life
when those are the most needed anu
10 that extent saps the strength OF
the future manhood and womanhood
of the nation. 1t shows itself most
in weakened and diseased eyes. Even
death has followed feeding animals
on an exclusive food containing no
vitamines.
A secondary cause for support OF
the measure was that the product Is
used in competition with milk n
tanning butterfat to the destruction
of the dairy industry. Eleven states
have laws against filled milk and the
intervention of congress m about
by a prohibition of its transportation
from state to state in the form OF In.
t~erstate commerce.
Opposition to the measure took
| the ground that 1t was using the ma
chinery of the government to destroy
one industry for the benefit OF an
other. 1t was argued that the oieo-
margarine legislation was of that
puTpOri anu tudt oieohio SaiihD
the poor mans butter. Ii was In
sisted that he could not afford butter
at its present cost. Yet 1t was shown
Dy the supporters of the filled milk
bill that 1t Is not sold at a lower
price than other canned milk it be-
ing a pure and simple theft practiced
on the public generally unawares.
Again Is the filled milk business a
legitimate industry? 1t would not
be a laborious undertaking to show
that congress may well differentiate
between legitimate and illegitimate
industry, and it is we'll within its
rights and sphere when II denounces
and uses its power to destroy the
latter.