The San Francisco call., 1897-02-01
OPPOSED BY LEGISLATORS
Members of Boh Houses Who OBJECT to
Paying for Diseased Cotc,.

1ensOerS OF Bon HOuSes HhO OOJect 10
Paying for Diseased COtc,.
SACRAMENTO. CAL, Jan. Ex-senator
Smith is one of the members OF the Upper
House who is opposed to the dairy inspec-
tion bill, which provides for the killing of
infected cattle and the payment therefor
by the State. He believes that the meas
ure as favored by the Committee on Agri-
culture will not achieve the main object
of the bill-the eradication of bovine tu-
berculosis.
my position in this matter" he said
to-day, sis little different from many of
the members, as both the counties which l
represent-Kern and San Luis Obispo-are
very largely interested in the dairy busi-
ness, and anything that would benefit the
dairy interests 1 would be bound to pro-
mote. Dairying is the leading industry in
both counties.
up to the present time have not re-
ceived word from any of the dairymen of
my counties asking me to support this
measure. On the face of it l believe the
bill is not drawn as il should be.
admitting that tuberculosis is as
prevalent as some say, there Is doubt IN
my mind that they are taking the right
course TO stamp 1t out. We have a num-
Der OF excellent and very competent dairy
men in both counties, but l doubt that
they are skilled in the detection of dis
ease, and whether they would be capable
of examining herds and detecting this dis
ease. l question the advisa bility of put
ting the matter in the hands of the dairy
men, as provided by the bill. 1t seems
to me that il ought to 20 into the hands
of the county boards of health, who are
competent to conduct the work on q scien-
tltic and disinterested basis.
how inT on hn ffor
lately and / find that various authorities
differ very widely as TO how dangerous
bovine tuberculosis Is and what the treat
ment should be. Professor Alvord of the
National Dairy Bureau recently said in a
lecture before the California Dairymen's
Associate that ne wanted to enter
vigorous protest against this sudden on
slaught on the COW. He thought that
there was disposition in several States to
act too preci prtately in the matter and
that the disease would be better under
stood by waiting a reasonable time. His
idea is that it is not so dangerous as
people imagine it to be. He even went so
far as to say that cows affected by tuber-
culosis could be safely used for breeding
purposes and that their milk could be
utilized if properly treated by some
method OF sterilization. He strongly
deprecated the proposition of killing all
cattle that showed symptoms OF tuber-
culosis.
The idea of com pensating people for
the death of an animal is decided
unique. II an animal is so badly diseased
as TO be killed l don't understand how 1t
can have any commercial value that the
State should make good. The result of
compensatine for such cattle would be
that California would go into the market
TO buy and pay for all the cattle that
showed this disease and the expense bill
would soon run far beyond the proposed
appropriation"
DR.. D. F. Fox is the veterinary inspector
of the county of Sacramento and for the
past six months has been actively en-
gagged in inspecting the dairies in and
about the city OF Sacramento as the ap-
pointee OF the Board of Supervisors of this
county. During this time he has exam
ined about 500 animals and has con-
demned and killed about fifty under the
power given him by the sanitary laws of
the county. In no instance has conn PEN
sation been made for sucn cattle.
In some cases resistance was attem pied
to his carrying ont his duties. But when
he explained that the owner OF the con-
demned cattle would either have to quietly
suffer the loss of his diseased stock or
take the alternative of being publicly ex-
posed through legal proceedings as selling
milk from diseased cows all desire to op-
pose his operations ceased. In every case
a post mortem was held on the slain ami
IndI anu III no instance was the tuDerCuIln
test found to have been at fault.
Contract labor and the use of imported
materials on all public buildings is sought
to be prevented by Senate bill No. 500
Foreign lumber is absolutely prescribed.
Its principal provisions follow:
All work done upon public buildings IN this
State shall De done under the supervision of
superintendent or State officer, or officers hay-
ing charge of the same. and all In Dor employed
on said buildings, whether skilled or un-
shilled, shall be employed by the day, and no
work upon any of said buildings shall be done
by contract.
All pull blic buildings which may be hereafter
constructed, repaired, refitted or refurnished
i'll this State, must be constructed -efitted
or refurnished with material the native pro-
duct OF this State, if such material of suitable
quality and OF sufficient quantity can be pro-
cured in this State. This section shall apply
10 the following materials: iron, slate terra
Gotta, marble, stone, cement and lumber; ex-
cept where lumber OF a suitable quality can
not be procured within the State, the same
may be procured from any of the Pacific Coast
States or Territories. No lumber which is inn
ported from any foreign country shall pe used
In the public buildings in this State
Interior representatives are Just now
greatly exercised over the question of
compensation to Justices OF the Peace and
constables. The fee bill of 1895 put the
fees down to such a point il is claimed.
that the Justices and constaoles in the
rural districts are not able 10 make
enough to justify them in holding the
positions
The question is how much salary it
would be advisable TO give these officers in
lieu of fees" said Senator Pedar in dis
cussing the matter. Nearly every men,
ber now here is wrestling with this oues-
ton. not only in the Senate but in the
Assembly. The general provisions of the
county government bill provide that
ere shall be only one Justice and one
constable in each township having a pop
ulation OF less than 5000. The power of
dividing the townships is vested in the
Boards OF Supervisors, and the practical
solution of this question seems TO lie in |
giving fair salary to the officers or in re-
ducing the number of townships"