234 Principles of Legislative Milk Control. 



various cities of the United States for the purpose of establishing 

 milk standards and also of obtaining such legislation as would 

 assure clean and wholesome milk to the communities. The organi- 

 zation of milk commissions in this country was undoubtedly an 

 important step towards the improvement of the quality of milk, 

 and only by the concerted work of these and similar organizations 

 can the country at large be assured of a proper milk supply. It 

 is regrettable that milk, the most important food, is not considered 

 by the laity of sufficient importance to be subjected to the most 

 rigid control, especially since it constitutes the principal, and in 

 early life the only food of children. 



The second report of the Commission on Milk Standards, ap- 

 pointed by the New York Milk Committee, embodies the principles 

 for a wholesome milk supply and would serve well as a basis for 

 the formulation of effective ordinances. Therefore it is deemed 

 advisable to reproduce these principles from the Public Health 

 Eeports of August 22, 1913, United States Public Health Service. 



Need of Milk Control. 



Proper milk standards, while they are essential to efficient 

 milk control by public health authorities and have as their object 

 the protection of the milk consumer, are also necessary for the 

 ultimate well-being of the milk industry itself. Public confidence 

 is an asset of the highest value in the milk business. The milk 

 producer is interested in proper standards for milk, since these 

 contribute to the control of bovine tuberculosis and other cattle 

 diseases and distinguish between the good producer and the bad 

 producer. The milk dealer is immediately classified by milk 

 standards, either into a seller of first-class milk or a seller of 

 second-class milk, and such distinction gives to the seller of first- 

 class milk the commercial rewards which he deserves, while it 

 inflicts just penalties on the seller of second-class milk. For milk 

 consumers, the setting of definite standards accompanied by proper 

 labeling makes it possible to know the character of the milk which 

 is purchased and to distinguish good milk from bad milk. In the 

 matter of public health administration, standards are absolutely 

 necessary to furnish definitions around which the rules and regula- 

 tions of city health departments can be drawn, and the milk supply 

 efficiently controlled. 



Public Health Authorities. 



While public health authorities must necessarily see that the 

 source of supply and the chemical composition should correspond 

 with established definitions of milk as a food, their most important 

 duty is to prevent the transmission of disease through milk. This 

 means the control of infantile diarrhea, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, 



