Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-17

act provides that establishments sell
ing "Grade A" milk may also dlstri-
butte milk of lower butter rat anu
solid content provided 1t comes up 10
"Grade Al requirements as TO pac-
terra count and score.
1t appears to be highly improbable
that the proponents of the act, or tie
Legislature, ever intended its Prov
sions to apply to all milk sold WITHIN
the State or that there Is anything
In the act to proven the sale or oroi-
nary milk that comes up to the re,
quirements of our present genera
law, bearing the name of the d1strlpu-
tor or farm where produced or otner
band or none whatever. 1t Is PROVE
ed. however, that milk marked "Graoe
A.; shall meet Grade. A" require
mines or in other words that such a
designation shall mean something: AS
l understand the law, the provisions
of Section two with regard to "other
milk" apply only to establishments
where "Grade A" Is produced ana
have no general application as many
inouirers seem to fear. In this con-
nection our office has sought ana re-
ceiyed the views of the Attorney Cen
erals Department and the concluding
statement in the Deputy Attorney
Generals reply is of inerest. II Is
INV opinion that Section two applles
onIv to the person who Is the proouc...
err and distributor of Grade A MIX.
Requirements as to butter rat
solid content and bacteria count are
easily understood, but a WORD OF eA-
PLANTATION of the score caro- system,
used by the u. s. Bureau or animal
Husbandry may be valuable. Inns
score card allows possible Sixty
points where perfect methoos OF
handling the milk product are 90.
served and forty points for per1ect
eouinmenr as to cows, stable, and
utensils. Clean cows and stables,
steam sterilized utensils, milk cooled
below so degrees Immediately after
milking, four square feet OF glass
window per COW, five hundred cuolc
feet of space per COW, and carelui
washing Of the udder before milking
are features that are given most
prominence in scoring. 1t may be
argued that the establishment OF
such conditions involve expense too
heavy for the small producer and
the contention would undoubtedly
carry some weight. Careful study or
the score card does not, however.
disclose any impossible conditions
and no official entrusted with the
duty of scoring should exact per-
lection from the first. 1t is also sug-
gested in inquiries coming to this
office that the price of milk pro-
duced under such conditions would
be raised This seems probable since
it is only fair and right that efforts
Of producers to deliver milk of
high butter fat content, produced
under conditions as set forth, should
command a higher reward.
The fact that one municipality of
our State has established through its
local health department regulations
that particularly stress the Grade
A requirements should not appear
as an argument either for or against
the legislation in question. True,
other cities and towns may take
similar action, but it does not seem
likely to become widespread, and it
must be borne In mind that this law
or any previously enacted by the
legislature does not affect local STAN
dards to be set up by municipal
health officials. The State provides
a minimum below which no milk
may be sold, but does not attempt
to fix maximum above which local
ordinances may not reach. and 1t Is
adoption or rejection of this Grade
A" law will relieve the producers
where local regulations of the
Grade A" level are already in force.
In some areas reached by the New
England Milk Producers Association
proprietary dealers are even now Of
fering a premium for Grade A.
milk, and such a movement may
spread to Maine. In this connection
the present discussion, whatever it
may lead to, Is educational and yalu-
able. 1t is desirable to learn all that
is possible of the requirements and
conditions under which such milk
may be produced.
This statement IS not made as an
attempt to influence citizens to vote
either for or against the meascre,
but is submitted in the hope that It
may aid somewhat in clearing up a
matter that must soon receive gen.
eral attention. Justice and fairness
to the Committee on Agriculture that
drafted the law and to the Legisla-
ture that enacted it, would seem.
also. to demand this explanation Of
their purpose and intent.