116 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



have been an important educational force with dairy- 

 men and to a lesser degree with the 4 public. It must be 

 admitted, however, that they do not (nor are they 

 intended) to go far toward the solution of the general 

 milk problem; rather are they a useful auxiliary. Fair 

 competition is to be encouraged, but can have full play 

 only when degrees of merit are generally recognized in 

 the market. 



THE GRADING OF MILKS 



We now come to the most recent and the logical de- 

 velopment in the administrative control of milk sup- 

 plies. 



There was a time when just two general kinds of 

 milk were recognized good, or salable, and bad, or 

 unsalable. As the situation grew more complex, and 

 bacteriological analysis came into use, it was seen 

 that the matter was not so simple. It then appeared 

 to those who made a special study of milk supplies, 

 that, while the supplies in large cities might be made 

 to comply with certain minimum legal requirements, 

 few perhaps none with certainty could be relied 

 upon as fit for the use of infants and invalids. It was 

 recognized as impossible to bring the general supply 

 up to this desired standard. Hence the introduction 

 of the milk depot for supplying special milk to the 

 babies of the poor and the devising of a special grade 

 of milk namely, certified milk medically supervised, 

 for the babies of the well-to-do. Then, gradually, it 

 came to be seen that these two special kinds the one 

 being on a philanthropic basis and the other costing a 

 luxury price, could not solve the whole problem. Mean- 



