Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/501

 A MODEL MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 483

milk is more liable to spoil, frequent raids are made at night or early in the morning against the petty dealers on the East Side or among the large wholesalers at the receiving depots. In the chemical laboratory of the department, of 3,870 samples taken for analysis in 1902, more than half were found to be adulterated, and at once a systematic war was begun against the violators of the law. The offenders were particularly numerous in the crowded tenement-house districts, where it was most important that pure milk only should be at the service of the people.

In one day, March 31, seventeen dealers in milk and fruit were hauled before the Court of Special Sessions charged with violating the Sanitary Code, and were fined in sums varying from $15 to $30. On September 22 thirty milk dealers were fined in the Court of Special Sessions. One whole- sale dealer was fined $250, and the total amount of fines was more than a thousand dollars. Unprincipled milk dealers now began to see that it was unprofitable to impose bad milk upon their customers. The beneficial effects soon became apparent. Of the samples examined in October, 1902, only 39 per cent, showed adulteration. 1

Special efforts were also made along lines never before thought of to protect the milk supplies, and with the most gratifying results. It had been found that much of the source of impurity came from some of the near-by dairies. For example, a single can of milk from a farm at Sanford, N. Y., which happened to be casually inspected, was found to be infected with no less than 180,000,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter! Such milk was evidently in a most filthy condition, and inspectors were at once sent to the outlying dairies and creameries to make personal investigations and give directions for the care of the cattle, the refrigerating and transporting of the milk, etc. In New Jersey, through the co-operation of the local board of health, the dealers and shippers were made to comply with the proper sanitary regu- lations. But in Brooklyn and Queens conditions were found to be so bad that it was necessary to send entire herds of cows to the public pound. This, to be sure, was a severe remedy, but as the pound charge was $3 per day for each head of cattle, it proved to be the most effective means of bringing the dairymen

1 See pamphlet compiled by the City Club of New York, entitled The Health Department of the City of New York, p. 23.