The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-12 00:00:00

riiE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 12, 1865.

The Cattle Disease.

MEETING AT THE MANSION-HOITSE.

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the Compensation
Company was held at the Mansion-house, Mr. Gibbins in
the chair. The following members were present :—Dr.
Stiff, Mr. H. Haines, Mr. Rudkin, Mr. Burkett, Mr.
Heeps, &e.

Dr. Sun, said he believed all sorts of applications would
come before the committee unless they defined the class of
persons to whom compensation would be given.
The CHAIRMAN said cowkeepers should give informa-
tion as soon as possible of the existing symptoms of dis-
ease in their shed; and a competent person would be ap-
pointed to go and ascertain if the animals were afflicted
with the cattle plague ; and, if so, to arrange as to the
price which the committee would give for them. After the
purchase of the animals they would be sent to the sana-
torium for treatment.

Dr. STIFF wished to know if the principle adopted by
the committee would apply to unlicensed cowkeepers.
The CHAIRMAN replied all cowkeepers were included.
Mr. RUDKIN said a lot of private cowsheds had been
winked at by the inspectors.
Dr. STIFF said it was important to know if those who
had cows for sale would be entitled to compensation.
The CHAIRMAN said every man, whether he had 5 or 50
cows, would be entitled to compensation, provided he gave
notice of the existence of disease in his shed.
Dr. STIFF thought the owners of fancy cattle should
receive compensation.

The CHAIRMAN said the committee should enlarge the
principle with which they started, namely, to give com-
pensation to all parties giving information of the disease.
Mr. HAINES thought the first thing to be done was to
provide carts or ambulances for conveying plague-stricken
cattle. There was a large number of carts in the metro-
polis for conveying wounded cattle, and the committee
might hire them.

Mr. RUDIUN said they should first appoint two compe-
tent veterinary:surgeons, whose duty would be to go about
and report the existence of disease in the sheds and deter-
mine the price of the animals which would become the
property of the committee. He would suggest to have
an advertisement put immediately in the papers for two
such inspectors, and they should also advertise for the
carts as proposed by Mr. Haines.
Mr. limps asked if it would be desirable to wait until
they got notice of disease. He knew a case in which an
infected cow was kept in the shed from Tuesday till
Thursday.

Mr. RUDKIN said they should not give compensation to
any except those who gave information of the disease at
the earliest stage.

After some conversation Mr. RUDKIN proposed the
appointment of two veterinary surgeons to act as inspec-
tors under the committee.

Mr. lIEEPS seconded the motion, and it was unani-
mously adopted.

The CHAIRMAN suggested the advisability of investing
the inspectors with the power of a Government inspector.
If an official were divested of this authority he would not
have the power of allowing the diseased animals to go
through the streets.

Mr. RUDKXN said no opposition would be offered to the
driving of the cattle through the streets. It had been done
in Scotland, and he believed the Government inspectors
would be only too glad to alllow them to do it.
It was then agreed that the committee should advertise
for cattle carts, and the business concluded.