The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-19

! thereon Will be found in'the boaru oh
nual report. In this connection ~ see',s ms
| wise 20 suggest that a change should pe
made i'm the law regulating the education
| of the blind, feeble minded and dependent
| classes At present they are appointed 10
the several institutions by the Governor
| who has little or no opportunity 10 e%-
anime into the merits or dement's OF each
! case. and the statutory provisions for their
| continuance in the several institutions are
| so meagre as TO require in every case the
| special Intervention OF the General Assem-
! bly,. This work belongs specifically 10 lhe
| Board of Education. The whole matter
| should be placed in their hands, ana
1 separate appropriation sufficiently large
| TO meet the demands Of the work shoulu
be made therefor.
State Home and School.
The management of this institution was
| transferred by an act of the Assembly at
! the last May session from the state BOARD
! OF Education 10 n separate board OF con-
troll. The institution should have the
careful consideration of the Assembly at
! this session, as il is greatly lacking IN
| buildings aud equipment There are two
| pressing needs-hrst, for u good-slzed
cottage house for the smaller children,
| who are much in excess, with conveniences
! and spare room or two for rainy day
| sports and the kindergarten work. Ihls
! house is needed also, that "A'' cottage, an
| old farmhouse, may be vacated for use in
Sc of sickness among the children. "A
grave responsibility would rest with us
| should any of the diseases peculiar TO
| childhood break out, TO say nothing of
| more serious epdemics. There is no place
! where the patients may be isolated. III is
fortunate that the school has been so sin
| gularly free from such diseases. The
| second great need OF the institution IS
! building for school and chapel uses. The
| present school rooms are too small and the
educational work, one of the best objects
| of the institution, is crippled for room.
| In such building n room for Sunday SER
| vices and exercises on festival occasions Is
desirable. During the year the institution
has been connected with the city of Provi-
| dence water service.
State Board of Agriculture.
The omission of the usual appropriation
for the work of the State board of agricul-
ture has made it impossible TO continue
tae farmers Institutes which had met
with so hearty support from farmers and
agricultural societies and which were do
ing good work in disseminating valuable
information on practical topics. The
work OF analyZing commercial fertilizers
has been done under the direction of the
board at the experiment station. Our fer
tilizer law is believed to be as poor a
msasure as exists on the statute book of
any State, and i trust to see the passage
of an act at this session that will permit
the work of analysis to be done in "a way
TO insure the protection of the farmer and
that shall protect the State from being
the dumping ground of fertilizers that
cannot find market elsewhere.
This assembly can devote n portion OF
its time and attention to no better pur-
pose than a careful study of our agricul-
tural situation and the amendment and
revision of our laws relating thereto, with
IA N n A
board of agriculture to the State. /
would recommend that so far as may be
practicable all interests relating in any
way to agriculture that seem To require,
or that may be benefited by administra-
tive control, be placed in the hands Of
this board.
tuberculosis in Cattle.
The General Assembly at its adjourned
session in July transferred the care of tu-
bercolosis in cattle from the State Board
of Health to the State Board of Agricul-
ture by the passage of an act which.
though incomplete and indefinite in its
provisions, the Board of Agriculture has
endeavored TO carry out with view TO its
evident intent and its duty To the people
of the State and the General Assembly
The responsibility imposed by this act
has proved TO be heavy and the duties far
from light, but the members of the board
have exerted every effort TO carry out the
law with loyal devotion and interest
that may well be emulated in every de
partment of the public service. Obadiah
Brown, Alfred A. Reed, the late John G..
Clarke of West Kingston and William
Williams of the board and other citizens
outside the board have given their ser
vices as appraisers under the law, day
after day taken from their private affairs,
devoting their time for which no compen-
sation whatever has been provided by law.
IL har fnxsg al xa1 l.ant nj f.Ii Ii..ttg
journeys into the country districts, that
have been frequently severe. AS serious
as their work was evidently 10 be, its
magnitude and its importance to the State
were only fairly impressed upon them
with the actual experience. A
veterinary surgeon was employ
ed and the board promptly undertook
the work of Investigation and eXtermina-
tion imposed upon them. During the few
months that have elapsed they have visit
eel many parts of the State and, although
there is much to be done in the way Of in
yestigation, enough has been disclosed To
demonstrate that tuberculosis existed in
an alarming degree in our State, and that
it was spreading not only among herds OF
cattle, but among sheep and swine.
Thirty-seven head of cattle had been killed
up 20 Jan. /, the greater number of which
were found to badly affected. The report
Of the board will give i'll detail what has
been accomplished. and | recommend your
most careful consideration of the same.
The condition of affairs requires intelli-
gent action to overcome, and such action
should be had promptly, not only TO rid
the state of the danger which menaces
but that unnecessary alarm which
now exists in may parts OF the
State may be allayed. OF all
the contagious diseases in cattle this
seems TO be the most important Tor our
present consideration here in Rhode
Island. as it has also received extraordi-
nary attention the past year in other New
England and Eastern Middle States. Dis
eases of our cattle touch not only import
ant business interests the dairy aud our
beef but il is the opinion of medical
authorities that tuberculosis may be trans
mittsd through milk, butter and meat 10
children, if not to adult humanity. The
Board i'm the course oi its investigation
learned that many OF the affected cattle
had been brought here recently from other
States. and the awakening OF the com
munity To the danger in their midst Will,
! think. make buyers more careful in fu-
ture i'm the selection of their stock. Our
farmers have in most instances CO operated
with the Board To ferret out cases, evi-
IDENTIFY fully alive TO the damage TO their
reputation and business from the possess