State Dairy Association. 405 



OUR DUTY. 



(D. A. Chapman, State Dairy Inspector, Missouri.) 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen — The dairy industry of 

 Missouri has for its leader a man of remarkable energy, foresight 

 and endurance, who is always in the lead, and he was ably assisted 

 by his Deputy Commissioner; but they complained that for them to 

 spread themselves out over great big Missouri, they became awfully 

 thin. They saw the need of education and training in the dairy 

 line, and need of reforming as well as forming. They noted the 

 disregard for law and right, the prevalence to adulteration and 

 preservative, and the rapidly increasing death rate therefrom 

 among the children. People were coming to them and asking what 

 shall we do to be saved, me and my entire household; these men 

 could sound forth the notes of warning and alarm, but could not 

 follow them up and be everywhere. They could not accomplish 

 anything like the laws demanded or what they saw the great neces- 

 sity of doing. They appealed to the legislature for aid, and this 

 was granted them last year, and a new force of helpers were put 

 to work last July. These new helpers were given the name of 

 inspectors, one of whom I am. Although I came into this work 

 from the farm and dairy I am only six months old in this cause, 

 and, being only a babe, desiring the sincere milk of the word my- 

 self, I feel a great hesitancy in talking to you on "our duty." How- 

 ever, having a capable and patient leader, and trying to profit by 

 my short experience, I believe I have learned a few things well, 

 and one of them is that duty is not always a welcome visitor, or 

 even an agreeable companion, and may be divorced, if given half 

 a chance. Her path does not always lead by green pastures, or 

 beside still waters, but oftimes over difficult mountains and through 

 stony places ; but, perhaps, it is this diversity that makes her path, 

 with all, to be called a pleasant one. 



In the analysis of the word "inspector" we find the root word 

 spec is taken from spectum — to look; the suffix is or — one who, 

 and the prefix in — into or within. The word meaning, then, "one 

 who looks into." But the word in the hands of the people seems 

 capable of being bent or twisted to give us the cognomen that ex- 

 presses their degree of appreciation or non-appreciation of our 

 proffered services. So we start out in our first duty with the name 

 of leader, guide or teacher. No duty can be more responsible 



