1909 



MILK COMMISSION. 



115 



As to adulteration, a similar result is 1 seen from the fact that very few con- 

 victions have been obtained under the clause which makes it essential to prove that 

 the milk was "knowingly and fraudulently adulterated." 



Being therefore both cumbersome and ineffective, we are forced to the opinion 

 that, instead of tampering with and amending, the present clauses should be wiped 

 out and in their place substituted one plain and comprehensive Act which would 

 cover all relevant points. Such an Act is on the statute books of many States of 

 the Union across the line, and such an Act was passed by the Legislature of Vic- 

 toria Colony, Australia, in 1906, and was' given the gold medal at the International 

 Food Congress at Paris as being the most complete enactment on the subject. Such 

 a law, in our judgment, should embody a general provincial policy, but should also 

 clearly define the powers of the municipalities, in whose hands the administration 

 must largely rest as in the past. 



ENACT MINIMUM STANDARD FOOD VALUE. 



In the formulating of such a law, we believe municipalities 1 should be given 

 authority to fix the standard of butter fat and total solids of milk to be sold within 

 such municipality, but that a provincial definition of adulteration should be adopted 

 as follows: 



Milk containing more than eighty-eight per centum of water or fluids; 



Milk containing less than twelve per centum of milk solids; 



Milk containing less than three per centum of fats; 



Milk drawn from animals within fifteen days before or five days after par- 

 turition ; 



Milk drawn from animals fed on distillery waste, or any substance in a state 

 of fermentation or putrefaction, or on any unwholesome food; 



Milk drawn from cows kept in a crowded or unhealthy condition; 



Milk from which any part of the cream has been removed ; 



Milk which has been diluted with water or an}-, other fluid, or to which has 

 been been added, or into which has been introduced, any foreign sub- 

 stance whatever; 



Milk, the temperature of which is higher than fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. 



This follows the lines adopted by New York and other States of the neigh- 

 bouring Eepublic. It will be noted that it includes a minimum standard of three 

 per cent, butter fat and twelve per cent, total solids. Natural milk as drawn from 

 the cow invariably averages around 3.5 per cent, butter fat and 12.5 total solids. 

 J. A. Euddick, Dairy Commissioner at Ottawa, in his latest report, submits the fol- 

 lowing table showing the average production of 1,373 cows for full period of lac- 

 tation in four provinces : 



Average for four provinces . 



5,102 



3.8 



193.1 



