No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xi 



Milk Legislation. 

 Although the milk standard law would seem to be satis- 

 factorily solved, for the present, at least, and fm'ther agita- 

 tion in relation to it is to be ill timed, there remains one 

 phase of the business on which legislation would seem to be 

 in order at this session of the Legislature. As is well known, 

 there is a determined effort in the making, backed by power- 

 ful interests, to have State-wide inspection of milk produc- 

 tion, under the control and at the expense of the Common- 

 wealth. Such inspection has some advantages from the 

 standpoint of both the consumer and the producer, but in 

 any form hitherto proposed is open to certain objections 

 which more than nullify its good features. On the one hand, 

 it must stop at the State line, and thus discriminates against 

 the Massachusetts producer, placing burdens upon him to 

 which his competitors in other States are not subjected, and 

 at the same time inadequately protects the consumer, as it 

 leaves by far the greater part of the milk supply of Boston, 

 at least, uninspected as to conditions of production. On the 

 other hand, it imposes an undue burden on the producer by 

 obliging him to help defray the bills incurred in inspecting 

 him. It is manifestly unfair to tax the town of Petersham, 

 for instance, to help pay for inspection of milk for the pro- 

 tection of the people of Boston. Such a proposition catches 

 the farmer coming and going, making it more expensive for 

 him to produce milk and compelling him to pay for the 

 work of making it more expensive. I do not wish to be 

 understood as opposing proper inspection of milk produc- 

 tion ; I simply seek some method of inspection that shall be 

 fair to all. To my mind the best solution for the producer 

 and consumer alike lies along the line of legislation to allow 

 the boards of health of cities and towns to inspect the dairies 

 that produce the milk consumed in the said cities and towns, 

 and to forbid its sale without such inspection. It may be 

 objected that this is impossible of accomplishment in the 

 metropolitan district, but it has been practically accomplished 

 in some instances, certain dairies being already set aside to 

 furnish the supply for certain towns. This step accom- 



