The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1890-02-07
CONTINUE 1T.

That Is the Prevailing Opinion
Regarding the Office of State
Veterinarian.
Considerable interest is manifested
in this city in the question, now pend
ing in the Legislature, of discontinuing
the office of state veterinarian. The
REPUBLICAN interviewed number of
horse owners, veterinarians and physi-
clans today regarding the question
and secured the following expressions
of opinion:
A. d. A. FuIler-It would he bad
policy to discontinue the office. In
territorial days before it was created
large number of diseased horse were
shipped in and this would again result
were the office discontinued; in fact,
South Dakota would become the dump
ing ground for diseased horses from
all the states that have veterinarians.
The loss that would surely come to
owners of live stock were the office
abolished would be many times what
it costs to maintain it.
+. M. Duncan-lt would be an impo-
sition on stock owners. A competent
state veterinarian gives the best possi-
BILE protection for the smallest possible
sum. Were the matter left with coun-
ty commissioners, as has been suggest
ed, it would be much more expensive
and not nearly as satisfactory. Should
they make mistakes pronouncing
horses diseased and ordering them
killed as they surely would, not being
trained veterinarians the owners would
have legal recourse on them or the
counties. In this way there would be
money enough expended to more than
pay the salary Of state veterinarian
The Office should be continued.
V. V. Fletcher-The discontinuance
of the office would be poor economy.
If the counties assumed control of the
matter and had the work of the office
performed by local veterinarians there
would be more or less fayoritism and
the cost would be much higher than
now. Stock owners need the protec-
tion the office gives.
Louis Beckwith-It would be sheer
nonsense to abolish the office. 1t is as
necessary as any Office in the state. |
am not advised as to the cost of main
tenance of the Office but this ought to
be limited, L believe, to reasonable
amount and the office continued.
Through it alone is any kind of pro-
lection afforded stock owners.
E. e. Devy-Of course the Office
should be continued. l have some
horses and pay taxes on them and why
shouldn't 1 have some sort of protec-
ton? The office of state veterinarian
bears the same relation to the live
stock of the state that boards of health
do to the people of the state. There
is just as much reason in abolishing one
as the other: Both should be main
tanned.
DR.. G. V .Parmelee-The Office should
be continued for the protection it gives
to the people of the state. Some dis
eases of animals are communicable to
persons. This is especially true Of
glanders. If the virus discharged by a
glandered horse comes in contact with
the human mucus the disease is sure
70 result. From every point of view it
would be penny wise and pound fool
ish to discontinue the Office.
DR.. A. III. Daniels-If for no other
reason than to guard the people of the
state against glanders the Office ought
| to be maintained. This disease is
easily communicable to persons and it
is almost invariably fatal.