236 THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA* 



See appended sheets. [Appendix G.] (Health officer Topeka, Kans.) 

 Must contain 3.4 fat when diluted to the degree of evaporation. (Health 

 officer San Francisco, Cal.) 



No. (Health officer St. Joseph, Mo.) 



I can find none. (Health officer Wheeling, W. Va.) 



No. (Health officer Scranton, Pa.) 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, 

 Washington, D. C., November 30, 1910. 

 Mr. J. Louis WILLIQE, 



Chairman of Milk Committee, 



Chamber of Commerce, 1202 F Street, Washington, D. C. 

 DEAR SIR: In further reply to your letter of the 24th to Dr. Melvin, in his 

 absence I take pleasure in inclosing answers to the supplemental questions sub- 

 mitted by your committee. 



Very truly, yours, A. M. FARRINGTON, 



Acting Chief of Bureau. 



SUPPLEMENTAL DATA REQUESTED BY SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WASHINGTON 

 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE THE PRESENT MILK SITUA- 

 TION IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 



1. Kindly furnish, if practicable, a generalized statement in a few words of the 

 history of Federal inquiry into the production and distribution of milk? 



Prior to the establishment of the Dairy Division of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry in the United States Department of Agriculture on July 1, 1895, the 

 Federal Government had given very little attention to the subject of milk pro- 

 duction. As early as 1893, however, following the discovery of tuberculin and 

 the development of the tuberculin test, the Bureau of Animal Industry prepared 

 tuberculin for distribution free of charge to public health officers, with a view 

 to restricting and eradicating tuberculosis of cattle. This distribution and use 

 of tuberculin has been continued ever since to a steadily increasing extent. 

 About the same period the bureau also began to study the subject of pasteuri- 

 zation and issuing literature on this subject. 



Following the establishment of the Dairy Division active work dealing with 

 the production and distribution of milk was undertaken, and in 1900 there was 

 published a paper entitled " Market Milk : A Plan for its Improvement." This 

 paper was issued to meet frequent requests for advice regarding improvement 

 of the milk supply of cities and towns. The plan in brief was the creation in 

 each community of an unofficial milk commission to inspect dairies and methods 

 of producing and handling milk and to prescribe proper requirements govern- 

 ing these things. The proposed arrangement was to be purely voluntary, the 

 dairymen who conformed to the conditions being given certificates which would 

 enable them to obtain business. 



The Bureau of Animal Industry has for several years done much to promote 

 and introduce the score-card system of dairy inspection, which has been found 

 to be a valuable agency for improving the wholesomeness of milk supplies. 

 This system was first introduced and used by Dr. William C. Woodward, health 

 officer of the District of Columbia, early in 1904, and has since been modified, 

 improved, and extended. 



In recent years the Bureau of Animal Industry has worked in various ways 

 to bring about improvement in the wholesomeness of milk. It has made 

 scientific investigations regarding tuberculosis, pasteurization, and other sub- 

 jects; it has studied practical methods of dairying, with a view to helping 

 dairymen to improve their methods for the benefit of both producer and con- 

 sumer; it has cooperated with numerous cities and towns in the improvement 

 of their milk supplies; it has furnished tuberculin to public-health officers 

 and has applied the tuberculin test to a large number of cows ; it has studied 

 the milk supplies of various cities and the methods of producing, transporting, 

 handling, and delivering milk ; it has promoted competitive exhibitions of milk 

 and cream to encourage the production of wholesome products, and has given 



