The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-05
MAINE LIVE STOCK.
Report Of the Cattle Commissioners
to the Governor.
LESS TUBERCULOSIS THAN in ANY
OTHER NEW ENGLAND STATE.

LESS TUBERCULOSIS THAN in ANY
OTHER NEW ENGLAND STATE.
But There is Some Here and 1t Must Be
Fou=ht-Past Appropriations made
quate-Much More Money VIII be Need
ed if tuberculosis Is To BE Kept Down.
The cattle commissioners, DR.. George
H. Bailey of Deering, Hon. F. O. Beal of
Bangor and John M. Deering of Saco,
sent their report for the year 1896 to the
Governor and Council yesterday. The
most important facts follow:
summary of the business Of the year
shows that your commissioners have or
dered and attended over 300 inspections
during 1895, scattered all over the state,
containing cattle population of $685.
1913 and 7l9 horses either bred or
owned upon 65. 400 farms in Maine.
This amount OF work is SO largely in ex-
CESS of the demands upon our services
of any other year since the present law
went into effect, that it is apparent upon
the face Of it. that with local amount
ofEappraisals for the years '95 and '96
largely in excess of the whole bi-annual
appropriation, together with the almost
certain knowledge that the new and
much more certain method of diagnosing
and controlling the disease through the
.;< Of @,,1, orculip too will conpaI an in
creased sxpe nditure of both time and
money: that the amount thus far appro-
priated is entirely insufficient to insure
any or effectual continuance Of the
work.
In 1885, 48 head of horses were con-
demned and destroyed at an apprisal of
81, 9s7. 50 and IS head of cattle were also
| condemned and destroyed at an appraisal
of 50, 459 90 the total amount of appraisals
for that year being 81, 3s6.00 In 1895
As head of horses were condemned and
destroyed at an appraisal of 81, 967. 90 and
202 head of cattle condemned and destroy
ed at an appraisal of 81, o68. so the TO tai
amount ofsappraisals OF the year being
So, 03o. 80 amountise n..the two years to
Si3, 416. so for which was appropriated by
last Legislature slO 00C. 90 out of which was
expected to be paid all the expenses and
pay of three commissioners and for all
animals destroyed under the proyisl ons
of this act. The same difficulty has
been experienced for the past two years
as In all previous bi-annaal appropria-
lions. We can meet the first years ex-
penses by paying out of the second years.
funds whatever deficiency proves to ex-
ist at the end of the first year; only to
find ourselves entirely out of money
early in the second year. and then con-
tinue to do business on credit, aud
become indebted to every owner for
| whom we condemn an animal, until
such time as the deficiency can be pro-
vided for to the great inconvenience ofsall
| concerned.
The largely increased business Of 1895
over that of 1895 is a case in point at
the close of business In 1895 we had over
run the annual appropriation over $4,000
which amount could be rendered avail
able January l, 1895; by paying out OF
| the second years funds the indebtedess
of 1895, only to find ourselves with ap-
proximately one half the annual appro-
priation to continue the business of 1876 so
that early in the present year we were
entirely out of funds, and only able to
continue the business Of the year by the
special authority of the Governor and
Council as the CLAW provides. The in
conveniences and hardships to many
men and women. to whom money is now
long since due, for animals destroyed by
/ order of the com missioners, have proved
much greater this season than ever be-
| fore; and have grown largely out of the
fact that demands upon us by various
"Beards of Health" throughout the
state to have all COWS tested with tn ber-
culin, from which certain cities derive
/ Al L,iv rvnfC 6rT1
expenses heretofore incurred In making
physical examinations. together with the
undisputed factstnat such tests would
surely disclose an increased NUM- Der OF
cases of tuberculosis 60 be paid for and
destroyed. Early in May 1895, the Port
land aboard of Health" demanded that
the herds furnishing milk to that city
should:be inspected by he,commissioners,
not that they had any proof OF any dis
eased milk being brought to their mar
ket but were apprehensive that such
might be the case . A great many hei DIS
were inspected that were within reas-
enable distance Of Portland; and al
though our examinations were made
among class of COWS that were many
of them forced for the production of
milk, which would be factor in de-
veluping ssthe disease, tuberculosis was
| discovered only late in the season in but
| one single herd of COWS whose milk was
| sold in that CITY, alGnougn during our
we found two herds in
New Gloucester that were quite badly
diseased, but their product had been
made iuto butter and never sold as raw
milk. This was the first examination
! asked for by any city or town in Maine,
| where the whole expense incurred would
havesto be borne by the State, and while
we recognize the Importance and often
| the necessity of such inspection 1t would
| DO unfair to the tax payers at large. to
select a certain portion of the state and
examine all in that portion, or examine
all the cattle supplying one city, and
leave all the others, unless systematic
inspection was ordered and then .separ-
ate the inspected territory and allow
no animals to cross that line until trey
were also inspected; until the entire
state had been covered and all tie ami
mails found tuberculous had been con-
iemned and destroyed. When we come
to consider that there are over 100, 600
milch cows in Maine, and that If this
class of animals alone were to be tested