DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS MEETINGS. 247 



Efforts to overcome these obstacles resulted in the score card, 

 which had an additional advantage in the subtile coercive 

 power vested therein by the publication of the scores of any 

 particular locality. Score cards are now in favor in many 

 sections. Their final adoption and use is still somewhat uncer- 

 tain. Where score cards are used they should never be pub- 

 lished, although failure to do so will rob them of their coercive 

 function. 



In cases where a single high rating occurs, more as a result 

 of an accidental combination of circumstances rather than in- 

 telligent action, and the average of several scores for the same 

 stable is low, it is asking too much of human nature to remem- 

 ber any other than the one high score, when advertising or 

 dwelling upon the value of this particular product. In brief, 

 they lack permanence and stability, two essential qualities of 

 publicity. Furthermore, :non-essentials are apt to be over em- 

 phasized and essentials to be underrated. This is particularly 

 true with the U. S. score card — the one in most general use. 

 Bearing in mind the object of score cards, viz., protection of 

 public health, any system which fails emphatically to emphasize 

 the water supply, and health of employees and cows, must 

 necessarily be open to criticism. The multiplicity of detail in 

 the U. S. Card prevents this. 



Moreover, inspection has been unsatisfactory and deficient 

 because of the method in which it has generally been developed. 

 It has usually originated and is still generally directed by 

 boards of health of different cities or localities, each proceed- 

 ing in its own way, employing various methods and standards. 

 Thus it becomes apparent that the conception of inspection as 

 an educational movement has been submerged and lost to view 

 by these chaotic and uncorrected efforts. Progress will be 

 unsatisfactory so long as the educational phase of the problem 

 occupies this position. Proper understanding can be hastened 

 and become firmly established by recognition of the defects 

 heretofore mentioned and the standardizing of the work 

 through centralization of authority. This principle was recog- 

 nized and approved at a conference of delegates appointed by 

 the governors of the states from which milk was sent to New 

 York, held at New York several years ago under the auspices 

 of the New York Milk Commission, where it was decided that 



