The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-28
MILK DEALERS
 DENOUNCE PLAN
(Continued from Page Seven.

NCOHUiuuCu HUH E ABo 6eVOn.l
 Springs Dairy, Prayton & Jemison William F. Matthews, W. M. Barton I. r. Johnson. w. A. Berman, T. w Riddle, and about 10 other raw milk dairymen, all of whom hold permits from the health department.
 Commenting on the action of these dairymen, MT. Bulmer. head of the health departments dairy division. de ! clared there are few other dairy. men "sitting on the fence ready to jump either way as indicated when the smoke rolls away" He added:
 ITO such dairymen the Department of Health feels that it should speak frankly and that it is under no obliga- tion to mince words because of the con- struction which may be placed on them by restricted group of dairymen whose motives have been so closely yelled in secrecy. @
 "A stage has been reached when neither public opinion can afford 10 re- main neutral nor can dairyman's right to exercise neutrality for the sake of personal obligation toward his con- tempories be considered. With the ex. ception of water, the public consumes more milk than any other article of sustenance. At the present the off. cial control of the Birmingham milk supply is in question, the public health is at stake and the future status of the raw milk industry is in jeopardy.
 Ut would appear that the dairyman' E problem could be more appropriately solved by public health authorities and dairy experts rather than attorneys al law, whose services are necessarily con fined to an effort of modifying milk regulations to suit delinquents instead of teaching the principles of shaping such business to comply with the law.
 .'The most important question is the public health, and matter, now uni versally recognized to coincide with pub lie health,f is increased consumption of pure, wholesome milk supply There has been hundred per cent in crease consumption of milk in Birming- ham during the past four years and the majority of dairymen have thus benefited.
 Charges Denied
 ''In spite of this fact continual charges have been hurled against the Department of Health by a small circle of uniformed or prejuiced individuals concerning the wholesale destruction of the dairy industry in Jefferson county The truth is that the established dairies have prospered and today are actually unable to meet the demands for their product.
 Similarly, there are comparative handful of dairymen who have not prospered, not because of the require ments of the Department of Health but because of the fundamental law of eco monies. Such dairymen, even though they maintain 50 or more cows, may be classified as back yard dairymen who have allowed populated districts .tt grow up around them they have lie pastures or facilities to grow feed, but purchase same today for approximately $50 per ton; they have no means to raise stock but purchase the weeds out of other herds at the stock yards, from among cattle sent to slaughter because of their inability as dairy COW to re- compense their board bill.
 This is the condition of affairs which exists among the unenterprising dairymen. In 1921 careful survey revealed the fact that 30 per cent of the Birmingham milk supply was adul- terated. costing the citizens no less than $94, 100000 per annum for water added to their milk supply Many dairies have been eliminated through the fact that the Department of Health, as public records reveal, has gradually but surely strangle hold on the adul- iteration problem and last year only per cent of the city supply was found adulterated.
 'To even the layman who scrutinizes the proposed amendments to the Bir- mingham Milk Code a backward ster