The Portland daily press., 1898-02-05
CATTLE And HORSES.
Annual Report Of the Cattle Com
miSSiOnerS.
NOT SUFFICIENT MONEY ALLOWED
THEM FOR THEIR WORK.
An Interesting Disquisition ON Empty
soma and Chambers.

An Interesting Disquisition ON Empty
soma and Chambers.
Augusta, January 4.-The cattle COM
missioners, Messrs. George 81. Bailey, F.
O. Beal, and John M. Deering, have sub.
mitted their annual report of the opera
tions of the commission. The report says:
A summary of the business of 1897
shows that your commissioners have at
tended three hundred and fifty-two in
spections, embracing almost every county
in the state. During the year, two hun
dred and eighty-se farms have been
visited, and sixty five stables have been
inspected: and as result, tour hund red
and fifteen head Of cattle have been con-
demned and destroyed at an appraisal of
s1S, 1872. 90 and twenty-eight horses have
also been condemned and destroyed at an
appraisal of 81 ,0S5. 90, the initial appraisals
Of the year being $19, 207. 90.
In our last bi-annual report the bust
ness of 1886 was compared with that OF
the previous year, showing that in 1895
forty.three head of horses were condemned
and destroyed at an appraisal of 81 1921. so,
and seventy nine head Of cattle were also
condemned at an appraisal Of 81, 459. 90.
the total amount of appraisals for that
year being S4,3S6. 90. In 1886 forty five
head of horses were condemned and de-
stroyed at an appraisal of 81 ,967. 90; and
two hundred and two head of cattle were
also condemned at an appraisal of 81 1858. :
SO, the total amount of appraisals for that
year boing S9,030.t0, amounting in the
two years to $13, 416. 80, for which the BIZ
annual appropriation was ten thousa and
dollars, out of which was expected to be
paid for all horses and cattle condemned
and destroyed, and also all pay and ex-
penses of the three commissioners. 1t is
a very significant fact that while the
number of horses destroyed during 1897
was less than that of the previous year,
the number of cattle condemned has
largely increased, and that the Appraisals
of 1897 alone exceed the appraisals of the
two previous years by over six thousand
dollars.
THE APPROPRIATION
The bi-annual appropriation for 1897
and 1898 is fifteen thousand dollars. The
sum of ten Thousand dollars was by spec
ial enactment to be devoted to the work
of the year just closed. the remaining five
thousand 1.-THE usual annual appropria-
tion) to be reserved for the business of
1898. 1t must be apparent upon the face
of it, however, that no commissioners
who ever have been, or who are ever likely
to be appointed, can do twenty Thousand
dollars worth of work with five thousand
dollars, or who can pay out of ten thous-
and dollars the net sum of 1893. 90 for
horses and cattle actually destroyed, sand
! with the balance of 1876. so pay all the
other expenses of the commission, includ-
ing salaries, etc., and keep within such
Enr the hanaf1f Of all
those who have been unfavorably affected
by the limited appropr iation of 1897, 1t
should perhaps be explained what facts
and fig Tres were presented to the Com
mittee of Agriculture" before whom, our
board appeared at the last session of the
legislature.
airy and March, and up to the time of ad-
journment, an unprecedented amount OF
work had been demanded of our commits
sion, so that up to the date OF March Slst,
1897. there had been condemned and de-
stroyed Uhree hundred and twelve head OF
cattle and eight horses, the appraisals OF
which amounted at that time to SD,
| 624. CO. and it will be observed that this
amount exceeded by over one thousand
dollarssthe whole amount ofrrappraisals for
| the two preceding years of 1895 and 1856.
| These facts were all in the possession OF
| the COMMITTEE of Agriculture, and
also the BOARD of Agriculture, from
whom came the major part OF the Oppose
ton to any increased appropriation, and
| it was well understood by all concerned.
that allowing nothing whatever for the
expenses of the commissioners up to that
time, there would be but about ", 50O. W
| left for the use of the Cattle Commission,
to carry on and complete the work or 1897.
Among the causes leading up to this I'M
usual amount of work, were the unWar.
ranted and mischievous statements that
had been freely circulated by interested
parties that citizen or twenty per cent OF
our bovine population were affected With
tuberculosis, while one tenth OF that
estimate would have been much nearer
the truth; and the motives for SUCH mis-
statements have been recently referred TO
by DR.. j. NJ. Parker of the MASSACHUSETTS
Commission. In a paper prepared py MIN,
he said, sIt has seemed to me sometimes
as if there had been too much anxiety
among certain veterinarians to increase
and exaggerate such danger as there
might be- not So much for the good or the
public as. because the more the people be-
| come panic striker, the greater the likeH-
hood that their pocket books would De
fattened.'
This condition of affairs in Maine rem
dered the work of our commission for the
past year much more embarrassing than
| for any previous year. as the law was still
in force and under its provisions we were
in duty bound to answer ell reasonab bic
calls for inspection of herds or, stables,
and with less funds than ever before TO
continue the work before US, and WORK
too, that we realize has been imperfectly
though impartfally performed, from the
fact, mainly, that the funds at our dis
posal were entirely insufficient for US to
enlarge and extend such Work beyond
actual and voluntary notices of suspected
cases or enable US to inspect or quaran-
tine certain herds where we have every
reason to believe that diseased animals
are being sheltered and from which young
stock ara being sold for breeding purposes
and their dairy products scattered broad
cast without any restraint whatever. Ihe
depletion from our dairy herds of many
| of their best COWS for EXPORT to Brighton