ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



6 9 



BY MR. BURKE, AURORA, ILLINOIS 



Ladies and Gentlemen: 



I have been requested to give >ou some idea of how the State Food 

 Commissioners intend to inspect the creameries. In that request is em- 

 braced a wish to have me read some of the reports. I have a number here, 

 but your Chairman has very kindly stated that I can't have all night, so 

 will call your attention to some parts of \ them. 



The State- Food Commission is composed of the commissioner, two 

 assistants, Mr. Patterson the dairy man, and a chemist and six in- 

 spectors. First of all I wish to call your attention to the fact tbat if they 

 have ten inspectors to inspect milk depots in Chicago under the city ad- 

 ministration, six inspectors is rather a small number for the great State 

 of Illinois. We have found this to be so and are cramped to a great 

 degree in the matter. 



The State Food Law isj one of the best laws upon the statute books, 

 and the people of Illinois will take more interest in it and aid the com- 

 mission before many years. Of course, it is not well for us to advocate 

 more inspectors and we are not doing it. but are doing the best we can, 

 and when you understand what the duties of the inspectors arc you 

 will be surprised, we are' doing as well as we are. It requires the inspec- 

 tion of all the creameries — and there are somewhere near 600 in the state; 

 it requires the inspection of all the milk depots, not alone in Chicago but 

 in every city in the state; all the dairies on farms and in the city; all 

 the restaurants, hotels, and in fact .everywhere where food is sold or 

 given out to the public. This is a bij, affair, and. to say that six inspec- 

 tors arev adequate to do all that work, is saying a great deal; but, as I 

 said before, we are doing' the best we can. 



The State Food Law is specific in soma of its provisions and some 

 not specific. The law says what you shall do and what you shall not do, of 

 course that is clear and defined. The section pertaining to the sanitary 



