A Filthy Milk Trial, a Lenient Judge, and a Convention's Disgust

Turning from legislation to inspection, Dairy Commissioner McDonald reviewed the recent cases he had brought against dairymen and milkmen. He told of his action against the restaurant men of Seattle, and gave an account of the trial of two milkmen in Tacoma for selling impure milk — showing how the cows were kept in a filthy condition and the milk contaminated by the unclean habits of the milkers, who milked with wet hands and let the dirt drop into the pail.

He had plenty of evidence to convict, but the judge's idea of the standard of the purity of milk did not seem high enough to secure a conviction.

James Hart said he thought Mr. McDonald had been doing good work in his efforts to enforce the law, and suggested the commissioner direct some attention to the milk dealers of the cities, since it was evident a larger quantity of milk was being sold to consumers than the dairy farmers supplied. McDonald explained that Seattle had a specially appointed inspector with a strong ordinance behind him, so he had not thought it necessary to take up that department; but if evidence came to him that the milk supply was not right, he would have no hesitation in enforcing the state laws.

The discussion returned to keeping milk and cows clean. A. H. Kellogg said: "It is no use talking about not keeping cows and milk clean. I don't think much of that Tacoma judge."

Guy MacL. Richards gave his plan of keeping cows. They should be kept in clean, well-ventilated barns, well floored, with good gutters behind each cow. He did not think it necessary that in Western Washington cows should be in quarters with every crack and crevice stopped up; he believed in lots of air and light. He curried them, washed their tails out, bedded them well, and singed the long hair off their bags with a candle. This singeing, he said, allows the udder to be kept clean and the milker can brush it off. He thought it wrong to milk with wet hands, as dirt would be sure to drop into the pail. The milk should be taken from the cows' apartments as fast as it was drawn — not left in the barn until milking was through, but carried out right after finishing each cow. Then strain it through a wire strainer, again through a cloth strainer, and again through flannel. Sprinkle slaked lime on the floor and keep the stables as free from impurities as possible. He kept eighteen or twenty cows in just that manner and was supplying a good circuit in Tacoma. He thought stalls preferable to stanchions, which work unnecessary hardship on cows by keeping them too much in one position.

Richards added: "I think that the fact that they milked with wet hands should be enough to convict anybody."

Wm. P. Izett agreed in principle but was practical: "It is all right to talk about discharging a man when you find him milking with wet hands, but when it comes right down to discharging, you think pretty seriously about that, too. You can't discharge a good man every time you find some little point wrong."

H. L. Blanchard said: "I find that some of our judges have considerable to learn. I wonder what the surroundings of that Tacoma judge are?" Other members expressed their indignation and thought the judge could not care much what kind of foreign matter the milk on his own table contained.

C. E. Bogardus, the leading chemist of Seattle, addressed the convention in a few well-chosen words, showing how serious the matter of supplying impure milk to the people of the cities was. When milk was in such a condition it imperilled the health of everyone who used it. As a citizen and as a chemist he looked upon the question as a very grave one, and thought the commissioner's efforts should be heartily seconded. The dairymen, he said, should stand by him on the occasion.

Some of the members were disposed to have a little fun with Richards' candle. He explained that he hoped no one thought he meant the hair should be taken off so close as to leave the cow bald on the udder, but only that the long hairs likely to hold filth or be grasped by the milker's hand should go.

O. N. Johns observed: "In regard to straining milk through flannel, maybe you can the Holstein, but you can't Jersey milk." The sally made everybody laugh.

Johns also put a board between each cow, and when his cows lay down they were close together; he did not believe in too wide a space, as the cows were harder to keep clean. He was not in favor of singeing udders, though he had never tried it — a good bed was best, and plenty of it. He kept his cow's tail under his elbow on his knee while milking, and it never gave him any trouble.

The sense of the meeting on one last point was that cows should be watered twice a day at least.