APPENDIX E 235 



The broader question of public cooperation was also brought 

 forcibly before us during the recent years and in consequence of the 

 efforts to enforce the tuberculin-test ordinance. The public is 

 negative in the matter of milk purchases. Milk is milk to the aver- 

 age consumer. A white fluid in a bottle with a cream line, is about 

 all he seems to be interested in. In fact, users of milk here, have 

 told us that they could see no difference between the milk from a 

 tuberculin tested herd and the milk from an untested herd. They 

 have explained that the cream line was no lower, that the milk 

 tasted no differently and that they could see no excuse for paying a 

 higher price for such a milk. This attitude, more or less exag- 

 gerated, was apparent and general, and, of course, makes for the 

 defeat of a provision like that requiring the test. The dealer can, 

 quite safely, oppose any requirement until the public demands it. 



So that the milk question, like most other public health ques- 

 tions, is compelling the Health Department to become an educa- 

 tional institution primarily, and is relegating the police powers to a 

 secondary place.* 



The producer also must be made to follow the public understand- 

 ing of the milk question. So long as milk is accepted by the public, 

 either in urban or rural communities, without question concerning 

 its source, filthy milk will be produced, and the product of the cow 

 will be contaminated until it is hardly fit for food. So long as the 

 public is willing to rely upon strainers, clarifiers and other artificial 

 means of removing dirt, the producer will not concern himself 

 greatly about keeping dirt out of the milk. 



The commercial aspects, of course, play a further part, as is 

 indicated in the attitude of the dealer toward the tuberculin test. 

 The milk dealer will always want as wide a market as he can get, 

 as many shippers as he can get and as many other sources of supply, 

 including creameries, cheese factories and other concentration 

 centers. He will always, directly or indirectly, oppose restrictions 

 by authorities or the public, that will curtail his supply. It is not 

 to his advantage to deal with a body of shippers who have complied 



* This can rightly be taken to mean only that in practice a great 

 part of the work of effective health departments is educative or suasive 

 rather than compulsive. Authority still remains, of course, the basis 

 of administration. J. S. M. 



