364 MILK AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH CHAP. 



The Bureau of Animal Industry, U.S.A. (Dairy Division), 

 gives the following advantages for the score-card system : 



1. Provides the health officer with a permanent, accurate, 

 and convenient record of all his dairies. 



2. May be used as a basis for issuing permits to sell milk. 

 A number of cities have set standards of 50 to 60 points, 

 which every dairyman must reach before a permit is issued. 

 This forces the poorer dairies to improve or go out of business, 

 as they are given only a limited time to comply with the 

 demands of the board of health. 



3. Serves as a check upon the work of the inspectors. 



4. Information as to the conditions in the dairies can be 

 tabulated, and by the publication of the scores at intervals 

 every dairyman is given credit for every effort he has made to 

 produce clean milk. 



One of the great hindrances to improvement is that milk 

 from good dairies and poor dairies practically all sells for the 

 same price. Publication of scores goes a long way toward 

 correcting this state of affairs. Customers who take an in- 

 terest in their milk supply are not slow to note the standing 

 of the dairies, and frequently select one that rates well, even 

 though the price of the milk may be a little higher. Naturally 

 this encourages the dairyman who is trying to do things right, 

 and discounts the dirty and slovenly dairyman. 



5. Is a valuable means of improving dairy conditions. 

 Where it has been introduced it generally results in marked 

 improvements being effected. 



6. Is of great value to the inspector in pointing out con- 

 ditions and making it impossible for him to overlook any 

 point of importance. 



7. Is of value to the milk dealer in assisting him to locate 

 the better dairies, thus making it easier to secure a supply 

 of milk to meet the demand made upon him for a good 

 product. 



The score-card system, in its application to this country, 

 must be considered from two points of view (a) As an 

 administrative agency without publication of the scores ; (&) 

 as an administrative agency with publication of the scores. 



(a) As a means of administratively recording the condition 

 of cow-sheds and dairies, keeping the inspectors up to their 



