Year: 1872

MARKET REFORM


Commonplace and repulsiye as the duty may
appear there is no higher obligation binding
on the rulers of great city like New x
than to keep it clean and healthy. We do
not refer only to the cleanliness OF the streets,
but of the markets, private as well as
public; and not merely TO cleanliness OF these


in the common acceptation of the term, but to
the preservatiOn of all food from the adultera-
| tions which. In the absence of official super


vision and under the temptation OF gam all
articles suffer at the hands of unscrupulous
and short sighted dealers New-York has Oh
| late in the general decentralization OF us gov
| ernment suffered specially from THIS latter
cause and it is in the hope OF reforming TINS
widespread abuse that The TRIBUNE has had
prepared the article on adulterated milk prom
ised Yesterday and published this morning as
another installment of a series to embrace the
leading articles of human consumption, largely
adulterated in violation of law and to the det-
riment of health.


Two reasons impel us to this disagreeable
task. which we are aware will make us just
os many enemies as there are dealers exposed.
First. we have seen the growing necessity Tor
doing it; and secondly, we are satisned
exposure serves a good end and is eiiectual,
to some extent at least, in the suppression OF
the wrong. In illustration of the truth OF
both assertions, and partly in explanation oil
our purpose let us instance something OF
what has gone before.


Years ago the sale of burning fluids was
restricted, by the enforcement of wise pro-
tective law to an unspeculative traffic IN nom
explosive oils, igniting only at certain high
degree of heat. In 1870, Judge George u.
Barnard, in one of his reckless moods, igno-
rant of the grave issues involved, made
decision which rendered the law imperative; (;
the Bureau of COmbustibles charged with its
enforcement was forced unresistingly to see
the city flooded with patent oils of the most
dangerous character; fires from bursting lamps
became, in consequence, Of daily occurrence.
and deaths were of appalling frequency. TIE
TRIBUNE, III January last, exposed this iniqui-
tons traffic. naming the illegal dealers; Mr..
Gilderseeve, the Superintendent of the Bureau
of COmbustibles, took heart and went to work
again; scores OF arrests followed; fines to the
amount of $4,000 were collected; the average
of fires per month from this cause was re-
duced from tlirty-five to eight, and the deaths
from eighteen to three. This experience
proved alike the need and the efficacy Of the
remedy we had adOped.


Again: Under the lax management OF Con-
troller Connolly the markets were absolutely
without inspection, and il the sale of meats
especially grave abuses crept in. Under Con-
troler Green and the new Market Superin
tendent, Col. Devoe, much of this has been
remedied and great deal of foul food has
been seized at the public stalls and cOnlis-
Gated, to the mutual benefit of honest dealers
and the public. Col. Devoe not only did his
full duty in this matter, but something more,
for he extended his inspection to the private
meat markets. Dishonest dealers were there
exposed, and THE TRIBUNE gave publicity to
his statements with good effect, and the law
is now to some extent enforced.


The revelations which we now make of the
abuses which have crept into the milk trade
of this city certainly show complete demorali-
zation of the dealers and the grossest adul-
teration. The painful fact is clear that
almost every milk dealer in New-YOrk adul-
terates his stock with water, and many with
other more deleterious substances. Brooklyn
is fairly fringed with the worst character OF
"swill milk stables" and her people drink lit
tie else than an impure, poisonous fluid. The
pure milk shipped from all parts of the State
to this city is mixed with one-fouTth as much
water after it leaves the depOts and before it
reaches the consumers, and unquestionably
the lmpurity is introduced by the city dealer,
not the farmer The ingenious process of
adulteration done in open day is fully re-
vealed. The very quantity of the adultera
ton has been fixed by careful analysis and
the total cost to the Metropolis of fully ten
thousand dollars day clearly established.


There are just as gross adulterations daily
OF the bread, tea, coffee, rice, table wines, and
many other articles of human food manufac-
tured and sold in this city; and in each case
of adulteration a law of the State is violated.
Every neglect to enforce the law is n direct
encouragement to the dishonest dealer. If a
few unprincipIed butchers or gardeners or
milk dealers are permitted to sell foul, decay
ing or poisoned food without restriction or
fear of punishment greater than that OF con-
fscation of their worthless stock, the whole of
these trades will shortly become dangerously
demoralized The Health Board must see to
it's duty in this matter. The suppression of
all sorts of adulteraton is an important sani-
tary measure and now that the Health Board
is no longer in doubt rs to its continued exist
ence for some months longer, we hope to see
1t go to work in earnest and give good reason
to all Tor dosiring its continuation under the
present Commissioners.


"A word finally to those who may possibly