50 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



make a decent living in a legitimate way, is not trying 

 to poison anybody, and does not like to be forced out 

 of business nor to sell out to a trust. He does not want 

 to raise the price of milk, and will only do so when 

 forced to." If he is averse to altering his methods, 

 tradition and lack of information are largely to blame. 

 The case is well put by Rosenau: 



The attitude of the farmer is often unfortunate, but he 

 cannot be blamed for getting out of patience with the sub- 

 ject. He is made the butt of the cartoonists and is hammered 

 at from all sides. He is inspected and reinspected, preached 

 to, lectured at, scolded, and the object of legal action. He 

 is pestered with the enthusiast, the reformer, the sanitarian, 

 the lawyer, the baby's mother, and the baby's doctor. He 

 is showered with advice, some of it contradictory. In this 

 predicament he does not know which way to turn. If the 

 attitude of the farmer is often unfortunate, the attitude 

 towards the farmer is frequently equally unfortunate. Too 

 often he is regarded as a back number, unprogressive, in- 

 competent, and even dishonest. As a class no finer stock 

 is to be found in the world than the sons of the soil. The city 

 replenishes its worn-out and effete inhabitants with the 

 brawn, brain, and character of the country boy and girl. 

 The harsh, arbitrary methods sometimes directed against 

 the farmer are not only unjustified, but delay and complicate 

 the solution of the milk question. Much quicker progress 

 will be made through mutual respect, a helpful attitude, and 

 a certain amount of patience necessary for all large sanitary 

 reforms. 5 



The dairy farmer is pressed by the health authorities 

 for better quality of milk and by the dealer for mini- 

 mum prices. He is not a recalcitrant; he is as glad to 



