426 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



In regard to the incident that Mr. Stephenson mentioned, I 

 took the stand I did because I had had experience along the same 

 line. It is true that milk will vary from day to day, but I have 

 never found milk that would test 4 to 4.2 drop down to 3.8 without 

 something being wrong. When I went to work in this state we 

 didn't test the milk. It was brought to the creamery and what we 

 termed pooled. Each man received so much per hundred pounds. 

 Finally the directors adopted the testing system, and I felt the 

 same as Mr. Stephenson did. I took daily samples and at the end 

 of the month made the test wholly realizing that there would be 

 a great many who would condemn me and the system as well. In 

 making that first test, somehow it ran better than I had expected 

 because they had been telling stories about some of the patrons 

 watering the milk. The second month there was one man's test 

 that dropped to 2.8 from 4. I didn't feel justified in cutting that 

 fellow because we had just inaugurated the system and I didn't 

 want to create any talk against it, so took the generous view that 

 there might be some mistake somewhere. There was no mistake in 

 the testing, but I allowed the slip to go through. Instead of pay- 

 ing him for the 2 test I raised it to something like 3.4 or 3.5 to 

 keep the business. "We did. The next month I watched everything 

 closely and knew then there was no mistake. This man's test was 

 2.8 and I sent in the report to the secretary as 2.8. The man ap- 

 peared before the board and made a vigorous kick. Then the 

 trouble started. I met him on the street and he went at me good 

 and strong. I said to that man, "You know the cause of your low 

 test. You know better than I do. I can't tell you, but you know." 

 He could not explain why he could not get a 4 test and mentioned 

 the 3.5 test the month before. I said, "Mr. Blank, I believe you 

 know that I raised your test to 3.5 when you had a 2.8. I did and 

 I made the mistake of my life." I left the fellow and he was good 

 and warm. He threatened to get my job, etc. Shortly after I 

 heard that the dairy commissioner had to appear in a little town 

 to make a speech and on the way, accompanied by Mr. Leighton, 

 he dropped in to Dyersville and examined our ceramery. I made 

 the announcement to the milk haulers that the dairy commisioner 

 was here. This was, of course, heralded in the country and it 

 went to this man's place. He thought there was something doing. 

 He immediately came to the creamery and said that he had found 

 out the cause of the low test. "My hired man," he said, "after he 

 milked and poured the milk into the can rinsed out the pail with 

 water and emptied it into the milk. ' ' 



