134 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



compare the moments spent in an endeavor to keep cracks and 

 corners clean even to the eye, with that required to wash off a 

 smooth surface. And let him consider also the occasional loss 

 of several cans of milk because it is sour or has a bad taste, 

 and let him weigh the relative value of his reputation for thrift 

 and reliability against that of his careless neighbor who clings 

 to old-fashioned methods. These purely selfish reasons justify 

 some additional first cost. The menace to health which the 

 use of battered and filthy tins involves is enough to rouse some 

 sense of responsibility in the least altruistic if he will but stop 

 to understand. 



There has been some improvement to be seen in dairy sup- 

 plies as they have come from the manufacturer during the past 

 few years. But their standard is still too low. I am plead- 

 ing for this standard in the hope that some action may be 

 taken that shall influence the manufacturers. Year by year 

 we shall see changes in detail of construction ; but the one sim- 

 ple and absolute necessity is that every seam and crevice be 

 closed with solder. Surely this is not an unreasonable demand. 



I might say that while I was milk inspector of the City of 

 Stamford, I visited all the dairies and visited them frequently, 

 and I found out when they were going to get new cans and I 

 arranged with the Iron-clad Can Company and also with the 

 Dairymen's Manufacturing Company of Jersey City, to fill the 

 seams of these cans with solder, which makes them very much 

 stronger and much more lasting, and they charged me fifteen 

 cents for the flushing of those seams and the numbering and 

 lettering of the cans. So you see it is not very expensive 

 when you count the advantages of it. 



Now, I have procured here a can that has been used one 

 year, and, speaking of improvements, notice this can (indicat- 

 ing can). This can was made a year ago. You will not find 

 that now. I asked the Dairyman's Manufacturing Company 

 to send me a lid with it and I am sorry they did not do it. In 

 the old way they folded a seam there, making the metal rim a 

 little stifFer. They folded that along there (indicating). Well, 

 you see how that js continuously full of milk (indicating). 

 That is not soldered down at all. You will notice that those 

 seams are always rusty when they get damp. 



Now, that seam (indicating) is left off entirely, and that is 



