New Yoke Agricultural Experiment Station. 751 



3 1 cents; and for " excellent " milk, from dairies scoring 480 points 

 or more, 4 cents was to be given. 



By the united influence of the two factors, publicity and payment 

 based on quality, an astonishing change was made in the quality 

 of the city milk supply. When the work began, 90 per ct. of the 

 milk sold came from dairies in the " poor " or " medium " class, 

 only two of the 40 sources of supply scoring more than 450 points, 

 or " good." In three years and a half, these figures were much 

 better than reversed; for at the end of that time one-eighth of the 

 dairies, furnishing two-fifths of the milk, were in the " excellent " 

 class and all the others in the " good " grade, both poor and medium 

 dairies having ceased to exist as sources of supply. 



Which factor was most effective, the publicity or the bonus given 



for improved quality, could not be determined ; but that the financial 



stimulus was largely responsible is shown by a later 



Change in development of the milk situation in the same city. 



conditions. The inspector selected by the Board of Health 



from a list provided by the city Civil Service Com- 

 mission was not well qualified by training or experience for the 

 position, but he rapidly improved under the instruction of the Board 

 of Health member in charge, especially after taking a " short course " 

 in dairying at Cornell University and 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. 



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 

 Effect of guidance was the detailed scores of the dairies 



of change, 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 circum- 

 stances fine distinctions were impossible and it was the natural 

 tendency to repeat the gradings previously given. 



