4 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



of farmers and dealers who assert that they are entitled 

 to additional recompense for the sanitary precautions 

 they are obliged to take. The price of milk, which 

 then comes into question, is notoriously a subject of 

 jealousy on the part of all concerned. Those who deal 

 with the question find, therefore, that they face not 

 only a sanitary problem, but also an economic problem 

 complicated by various human factors. 



While the necessity of a safe, wholesome milk supply 

 is the same for all communities, the difficulties of ob- 

 taining it are immensely increased in the case of the 

 cities. The larger the community becomes, the farther 

 it gets from the individual farmer and the nearer to 

 the domination of the wholesale dealer and the com- 

 plications incident to supplies drawn from many and 

 distant sources. The milk problem is thus characteris- 

 tically urban, but may exist in the smaller communities 

 in greater or less degree. 



Some of the reasons for the title of this volume have 

 now been suggested. Under the conditions of modern, 

 urbanized life a complicated milk problem has arisen, 

 involving such questions as: 



What is " pure milk"? 



Is pure milk or clean milk or safe milk or whole- 

 some milk practically possible? and how can it be 

 got? 



Will the public pay for it? 



The importance of the practical question is shown 

 by the fact that it has invaded politics and has figured 

 in a number of States and cities as a political issue. 



