Evening star., 1939-06-20
Health Service Says u. S. Code
Would Keep D. C.. Milk Safe
Adoption Would Tend to Reduce
Resistance to Free Flow From Markets

Adoption of the Federal milk code
in place of the present milk regula-
tons in force here now. as proposed
in the Schultz bill, reported by the
House District Committee yesterday,
would not result in lowering of the
high standard of milk supplied to
the National Capital. IN the opinion
OF experts of the United States Pub
lie Health Service.
On the contrary, it was pointed
out, adoption of the code would
tend to reduce resistance to the
free flow of milk and cream from
milk shed to milk shed without re-
duclng the safety of the milk sup
ply" The Schultz bill also would
open the milk market here to prod
ucts outside the local milk shed.
On the other hand, District Health
Oficer George c. Rutland is on
record as declaring adoption of the
Federal code to this city would be
distinctly regrettabIe. - He said
recently that the code was quite
ideal" for communities which had
not developed high grade of milk,
but the situation here was diff
ferent" He disliked the idea of
adopting the degrading" system of
milk to Washington.
District officials claim the local
regulations on farms are more
stringent than those of the Public
Health Service; while the Public
Health Service contends that in
many respects its regulations are
more stringent. and specific, such
for instance as its technical require
ments on pasteurization plants.
The United States Public Health
Service milk code is now in effect
in over 2.l56 communities located in
80 States,-it was pointed out. and
there has never been an outbreak
OF milk-borne disease in any of
these communities in the years since
records have been kept since 1928,
which could be traced to any grade
A pasteurized milk supply under the
Federal code supervision.
Adoption of the United States
Public Health Service code was
formally recommended in the 1888
health survey of the city by the
Public Health Service. This rec
ommendation was put forward by
A. w. Fuchs. senior sanitary en-
gineer, who surveyed the milk situa-
tion at that time.
Believes Schultz Bill Beneficial.
Discussing the Schultz bill YES
terday, Mr.. Fuchs expressed the be-
lief that it would be beneficial to
the city. The difference between
the present system of milk control
in the city, and that provided by
the United States Public Health
Service code, he said was principally
that the District now operates on a
scoring" system for farms, plants
and dairies, by which these are re-
quired to reach a minimum score.
These units may be able to come
within the minimum score. he
pointed out, without complying with
all the important requirements"
Under the Public Health Service
code. he pointed out on the other
hand. a dairy must comply with all
the requirements laid down in the
code. There are some differences
between the requirements of the
District and the Federal code. The
code itself provides for two systems
of punishment for of1enders-one
a system of so-called degrading"
Of milk, whereby dairy would be
forced to label its milk by a lower
grade on the milk bottle cap. The
other system of punishment is by
revocation of permit.
Mr.. Fuchs in one part of his 1898
report declared that under the Dis
trict's scoring system, "the score
cards recently adopted, one for dairy
farms and cattle, and other for
pasteurization plants, attempt to
compensate for the lack of detailed
requirements of the act and the
regulations.
The Schultz bill, while adopting
general provisions of the United
States code, has limited the legal
grades Of milk to three: Certified
pasteurized, grad A pasteurized and
certified raw milk. If this should
be enacted there would be little op-
portunity for the so-called "de-
grading" punishment of offending
dairies. Other grades of milk would
be specifically prohibited by the bill
The punishment could be applied
to a very limited degree, it was
estimated, through a forced "de-
grading" from certified pasteurized,
which is kind of super-milk pro-
duced under special precautions. and
sold at extra price, to grade A milk,
pasteurized which is generally con-