Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 294, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1920 — GOAT MILK TO COMBAT HIGH LIVING COST [ARTICLE]

GOAT MILK TO COMBAT HIGH LIVING COST

Dissatisfied with the prevailing high cost of milk, several Rensset laer citizens have fostered a plan whereby they hope to bring about a price adjustment on thia commodity in what is to be the first of a series of drives to bring prices nearer a pre-war level, the movement to be launched and perfected by the Jasper County Shippers’ Association, who have already been approached on the subject and looked upon it favorably. The plan adopted calls for' the stocking of a farm with goats, the farm to be under the supervision of. an efficient man who is well acquainted with this type of dairying. The idea is not an original one on the part of those who have suggested the movement to compel the lowering of milk prices, for it has been practiced in many other states with great success. In New York it is practiced on a wide scale.and goat milk is a common table article. The movement has steadily moved westward and suburbanites of many middle western cities have found this style of dairying a profitable venture. Goat milk is said to be unusually healthful for invalids and infants, in. fact more so than that of the cow, and the price is much cheaper. The suggestion has been made that a great many goats could be owned in the city and that they could be herded on vacant lots, street sides and alleys. This iherding could be assigned by the mayor to a number of idle people of the city, thereby reducing the number of policemen employed. School boys and girls, when found dis-' obeying the school attendance law, I could be turned over to the county attendance officer, Philip Blue, who could assign the offenders a certain number of goats to herd until the guilty ones were willing to reentet school. The city might own a large flock of these useful animals and encourage early rising by offering the milk free to the first party to milk the goats each morning. Why not have a municipal goat herd? We suggest that the matter be referred to Councilman Conrad Kellner by the Mayor and we are sure the supply of milk could be increased, the idle could be employed, the truants could be punished, street sides, alleys and vacant lots could be kept free of high grass and weeds and in the end peace and prosperity would be fully and firmly Istablished. At the next meeting of the Shippers’ Association the proposition will be discussed and plans may be perfected for the early launching of the movement in the county. “Own your own goat,” is going to be a popular slogan within a short time, that is if the city refuses to put in a municipal goat yard.