Iron County register., 1899-08-10
STATE AGRICULTURAL BOARD.
Violation OF the state Quarantine
LaW-DiGiculties Attendant on the
Prosecution of the Ruterine Law
CaSes.

Cases.
The Missouri state board of agri.
culture has issued its annual report to
the governor. 1t includes, among otli-
er things, statement regarding the
Texas fever question. In referring to
the violations of the quarantine regu-
lations, the report says: while it is
evident that these violations were net
infrequent, it was difficult to secure
sufficient evidence to convict. Cases,
however, what appeared to be abun-
dant testimony, Were found against
parties in Ozark and Taney counties,
and were turned over to the prose
cutters of those counties.
MISUNDERSTANDING of quarantine
regulations question as to 1heir
constitutionality raised by Judge
Evans, of the Twentieth judicial cir
cult, and his declarations both from
the bench and out of court-haye de-
tered officers from atte mpting Wig
orous enforcement, and encouraged
spectators to continued violations.
We are not informed as to the process
OF reasoning by which Judge Evans
=
would be attempt to criticise them,
but the right of state to. protect it's
live stock against the introduction of
contagious and infectious diseases is
now exercised by almost every state in
the Union, and remains unquestioned.
so far as we know, except by Judge
Evans"
The report deals at some length with
the difficulty Of getting violators of
butterine law prosecuted. The report
lays special emphasis On the neglect
of Prosecutor Lowe, of Kansas City,
to prosecute these cases. After re-
peated efforts to get violatcrs prose-
cuted, the report says: Upon ;ufor-
nation received from r. E. Mcdowell.
who had formerly acted as butterine
inspector for Kansas City, that we
at that time, under changed condi-
tiops, might succeed in having cases
filed and prosecuted, D. i. Blanton, the
state inspector, was again sent to Kan
sas City.
''Nine new cases were found, sam
pies analyZed, and other conclusive
evidence secured, and all turned over
to the prosecutor, with the request
that he take immediate action. This
was again declined, but Mr.. Lowe
promised that they should be turned
over to his successor"
Much difficulty in prosecuting vio-
latcrs of the butterine law was also
encountered in ST. Louis. The report
says regarding cases in that city: The
prosecutor has presented the cases
and the testimony, but the oral rui-
ings of the criminal court, as reported
by the press, were unprecedented, and
in many cases ingenious"
Success was finally obtained. how
ever, in ST. Louis, and in reviewing the
whole series of prosecutions, this
statement is made: ''As evidence that
enforcement has been reasonably sue
cessful in this state, when the limited
fund appropriated is considered, we
point to the fact that in Illinois with
a similar butterine statue to ours,
but without an appropriation for en-
forcement, there have been issued dur
ing the past season 1,500 government
licenses for the sale of oleo against 81
in this state.''
The report speaks in enthusiastic
terms of the success of the Missouri
agricultural and live stock exhibit at
the Omaha exposition.
The secretary and III. H. Banks, treas
urer, both submit statements of the
finances of the state board of agri-
culture, and the report of T. E. White,
the state veterinarian, is also given.
The report also includes 90 papers
on various important agricultural aud
horticultural subjects, by men of wide
reputation in these branches.
Full minutes of the annual meetings
of the Missouri Swine Breeders asso-
citation, the Missouri State Poultry as
sociation. Missouri Improved Live
Stock breeders association and the
Missouri Road Improvement associa-
ton are also included in the report.