540 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



milk. I immediately commenced to investigate and find out why 

 and how this dirt got into my milk. I did find out and removed 

 the cause and I never start out on my route now in the morning 

 that I do not examine the bottom of a number of these bottles 

 for sediment." 



In 1911, the Dairy laws then on the statute books were prac- 

 tically annulled and an entirely new dairy law was written and 

 enacted. This law empowered the dairy and food commissioner 

 to use the state's funds in further educational measures for the 

 fostering of the dairy industry. It also provided for a license fee 

 for all milk dealers of one dollar per year in all municipalities, 

 and most important it provided that the commissioner might 

 withhold a license from any applicant whom he might deem un- 

 worthy, or revoke a license issued to any person who had vio- 

 lated the terms thereof, or failed to comply with any of the re- 

 quirements. This provision is certainly a very powerful weapon 

 to use in getting rid of the dirty milk man. We have, however, 

 actually refused a license or revoked the same in but three or 

 four instances. However, when we point out to the ndesirable 

 milk man that he should and must improve his conditions and 

 cite him to this section of the law, it usually has a marvelous 

 effect, providing, he, of course, wants to stay in the milk business. 



There was enacted this last winter a new sanitary law which 

 went into effect July 4th just passed. This, however, we believe 

 is the best and most complete sanitary law now on the statute 

 books of any state, and while it has been in effect only a short 

 time, the working of the law so far has certainly been very 

 gratifying to this department and we expect to be able to ac- 

 complish great things in its enforcement. 



We have thus far outlined the method employed by the state. 

 The cities, however, have been using methods quite varied, and 

 some of these have been "freakish" in the extreme. Some six 

 years since, the people and particularly the Doctors, got very 

 much excited and stirred up on the question of bovine tubercu- 

 losis and its relation to human tuberculosis and took measures 

 to force the dairymen to have their cows tested and the reactors 

 eliminated. While our friends of the medical profession are 

 usually our strongest allies and need no defense from us, we want 

 to say to you that while they sometimes appear to be unduly 

 exercised about the importance of having the cows tuberculin 

 tested, you must remember that tuberculosis is properly called 



