JuNE 18, 1914] 
NATURE 
403 
LEGISLAMION. AND -‘THE MEEK. SUPPLY. 
NMC legislation, as represented by the Milk 
and Dairies Bills of 1909 and 1912, has 
so far been characterised by a want of definiteness 
which has probably been the cause of much of 
the opposition which it has aroused. This opposi- 
tion has come about both from the peculiar 
character of the requirements laid upon the 
medical officer of health in connection with the 
inspection, ete., of dairies and cowsheds, and 
also from the trade itself, on account of the omis- 
sion of any practical attempt in the earlier Bull 
to deal with some of the evils which everyone 
desires to see put right, and from a feeling of 
uncertainty as to what might happen under the 
rather extensive powers which that Bill gave to 
public health authorities. For these reasons the 
President of the Local Government Board found 
himself assailed both by the medical officer of 
health and by representatives of the trade, with 
the result that in both cases the Bill was even- 
tually dropped. Many of the controversial features 
of the earlier Bill to which attention was directed 
were rectified, to a certain extent, in the Bill of 
1912, but the powers, etc., of the medical officer 
of health were not made particularly clearer, and 
there was still no definite assurance that reforms 
would be carried out in a satisfactory manner. 
The chief objection which was raised to both these 
Bills was that with regard to the principal evils 
for the rectification of which legislation is so 
greatly needed, amendment was left in the hands 
of the Local Government Board by the issue of 
regulations after the passage of the Bill, and 
apparently without consultation with anybody. 
The problem of drafting a satisfactory Bill is 
likely to be more difficult than previously, for the 
conditions of milk supply have changed consider- 
ably during the last five years, and the attitude of 
the farmer must be considered for the successful 
issue of any milk legislation. It is probably a 
necessary concomitant of all legislation that it 
should largely deal with pains and penalties to- 
wards those who do not carry out its require- 
ments, but legislation ignores the fact that those 
so threatened may clear themselves from the fear 
of such penalties by ceasing to come under the 
legislation in question, and this is exactly the 
situation which it is necessary to realise has arisen 
of late in the milk trade. The farmer, at the pre- 
sent time, is probably rather independent as to 
whether he produces milk or not. In any case, a 
large quantity of milk is being produced for 
purposes other than ordinary milk supply, and 
these diversions of milk are becoming greater, 
and it may not be necessary that the same care 
should be taken with regard to milk which is 
used for such purposes, as would be the case if 
the milk were directly used as food material. 
To those who are accustomed to deal with 
farmers on a business basis, it is evident that any 
attempt to carry out drastic or theoretical altera- 
tions in connection with the production of milk 
would simply result in intense opposition, and a 
great increase in price for the article supplied. 
NQMC 326; VOL. +93 
There is at the present time almost a_ trades 
unionism among farmers, by means of which the 
wholesale price of milk, for no justifiable reason, 
has been gradually increasing during the last 
three or four years, and as there appears to be no 
power which may be invoked which will prevent 
the farmer increasing his price indefinitely, he 
would be only too pleased to have some really 
sound reason to bolster up his present attitude. 
For this reason the provisions in the earlier Bills 
which make it incumbent upon the medical officer 
of health and the sanitary authorities to carry out 
farm inspection is probably a mistake. The 
medical officer of health, as a rule, will have little 
knowledge of farms, cows, and their surround- 
ings, and there usually will be a lack of sympathy 
between him and the farmer. One looks upon the 
other as an ignoramus, and the latter regards the 
former as a theoretical person who knows nothing 
about the farmer’s business. Though the pro- 
duction of a new type of official is to be 
deprecated, if a special course in sanitary 
science were added to the ordinary veterinary 
course, On lines similar to the post-graduate 
courses which enable a medical man to obtain 
the diploma in public health, there is no reason 
why the younger generation of veterinary sur- 
geons should not become amply qualified to carry 
out farm inspection, while their training would 
gain for them the respect and sympathy of the 
farmer. 
It is quite certain that much of the present con- 
dition of milk production in the country arises 
more from ignorance than from deliberate inten- 
tion, and certainly for a year or two after the 
introduction of any legislation dealing with the 
production of milk, it would be desirable to pro- 
ceed with caution, and on the lines of advice and 
help, rather than upon those of compulsion. 
Among the younger generation of farmers there 
are many who will be better able to appreciate 
the requirements of modern milk production than 
their forefathers; but as they will probably in- 
herit the typical British obstinacy of the farmer, 
it would be necessary that they should be led 
rather than driven. 
It must not be forgotten also that the question 
of improvement of milk production, particularly 
as regards premises, water supply, etc., is much 
complicated by the attitude of the owners of the 
farms, who may be disposed to get rid of farmers 
from their premises rather than to carry out any 
very considerable improvements which might be 
required of them in connection with milk produc- 
tion for food. 
It is important in any Bill that the prohibition 
of the addition of colouring matter and preserva- 
tives of any kind should be made, as well as of the 
addition of skimmed milk to ordinary milk; and 
with this last might be coupled a further regulation 
that notices to the effect that such admixture is 
illegal should be posted in all dairies, in order that 
employees as well as employers should fully under- 
stand that such a regulation is in force. At the 
present time, a large amount of skimmed milk is 
