New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 47 



Course in Agriculture at Cornell University with the result that he 

 eventually became an efficient inspector. 



Early in 1911 the member referred to above withdrew from the 

 board of health and later in the year the dairy inspector resigned 

 to enter the postal service. 



The vacancy in the position of dairy inspector has since been 

 twice filled by the board of health from eligible lists furnished by 

 the Civil Service Commission. Neither of these inspectors has had 

 anything which could reasonably be considered as a preparation for 

 the technical work of sanitary scoring of dairies. 



The character of these appointments and the results upon the 

 milk situation which followed them indicate clearly that there 

 must be a radical change in the prevailing point of view regarding 

 the qualifications for municipal appointments before we shall have 

 a public service which will command the respect and cooperation of 

 the milk producers and retailers. Without such respect and co- 

 operation practically nothing can be accomplished. 



REACTION OF THE INSPECTION UPON THE CONDITIONS OF 



PRODUCTION. 



The position of an untrained inspector, made responsible for 

 dairy scoring when the financial importance of his scoring is so 

 great, was not an enviable one. His main source of guidance was 

 the detailed scores of the dairies as they had been given by his 

 predecessor. It was a natural assumption that these scores were 

 fairly correct measures of the existing conditions. Under such 

 circumstances fine distinctions were impossible and it was the natural 

 tendency to repeat the gradings previously given. 



The results of the inspections as given by the quarterly reports 

 of the board of health indicated that the sanitary conditions sur- 

 rounding the production of the milk supply had remained practically 

 unchanged, the report for Dec. 31, 1912, showing 10 per ct. of the 

 dairies as "excellent" and 90 per ct. as "good." These reports 

 were gratifying to the- public since they indicated the continuance 

 of satisfactory sanitary conditions and they were satisfactory to the 

 producers since they insured the continuance of the prevailing 

 prices for milk. 



The authors have been engaged for some time on a comparative 

 study of various dairy score cards. In August, 1912, they were 

 being aided in this study by Mr. F. H. Bothell, of the Dairy Division 

 of U. S. Department of Agriculture, a man of wide experience in 

 the sanitary scoring of dairies. In company with Mr. Bothell and 

 Mr. G. A. Smith, Dairy Expert at this Station they inspected 15 

 of the dairies supplying this city in connection with these score 

 card studies. At this time it was evident that, notwithstanding 

 the favorable reports given by the city inspector, the sanitary con- 

 ditions surrounding the milk production had deteriorated very 

 markedly. 



