The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-24
A NEEDEn RELIEF.

When Health Commissioner Ohage,
acting, no doubt, under the false inter
probation put upon the rights of the
the collection of the proposed charge for
inspection and on the misleading position
taken as to the ability of the city to
meet the charge, accepted the belief that
the charge could be levied against the
cattle owners individually and collective
ly, the G o b e opposed his view, and
insisted that the charge of inspection
was public charge, and was not col
lectahe against the dairymen. The
court sustained the view taken by us
and by the dairymen
At that time the idea prevailed that
the G o b was opposed to the inspec-
ton of cattle. That view was as false
as the other. The G o was then, and
still is, in favor of the inspection of all
cattle from which the peoples milk sup
ply comes; and whatever opinions might
have prevailed heretofore, it is now prac-
tica1Iy conceded that great public danger
of Infection lies in using the supply
of milk furnished from cattle suffering
from tuberculosis.
There is but one feature Of the ques-
ton on which the G OBJ has never
been satisfied, and that is that the own
ers of cattle which are found, on inspec-
ton, to be suffering from tuberculosis,
should be made to bear the loss involved
in their destruction. The utmost hard
ship has fallen on poor men who, in per-
feet good faith, have been selling milk
from diseased COWS, when they have seen
the diseased members of their herds
slaughtered. They have had to bear the
loss, and, moreover to suffer the indi-
rect injury of having their business IN
jured through the discovery of the dis
eased heads among their cattle All this
is wrong. The slaughter of the cattle,
like the imposition of the charge for in
spection, is matter of public concern.
The burden is imposed in each case for
the public protection and the public good,
e1Aio II SIlO04O VIC Julie ny the puUllC.
We nave sustained Dr. Ohage in so far
as we have believed him to be acting in
the public welfare. We shall continue
tC do so, giving him the benefit of the
well merited general belief that he is an
official who is acting with a single
thought Of the public welfare, and with
a positive desire to cause as little of in
dividual hardship as possible in the dis
charge of his public duties. We shall
continue to act on this view until there
is some reason, if there ever is, to
change it.
The G o e is informed that a meas
ure is in course of preparation for in
PRODUCTION into the legislature this win
ter which looks to charging the loss in
cident on the condemnation and death
of cattle suffering from tuberculosis on
the state. Sucn a measure should GER
tainly be introduced, and there should
be no difficulty in securing it's passage.
1t is in the interest of the whole people.
If ever the principle of a thorough ex-
animation of the live stock of the state
is to be put In operation it will be neces-
sary that the law shall be so changed.
The hardship would be uncomfortable of
having the loss fall in every instance on
the cattle owner. The farmers of the
state. as well as the consumers of milk
and butter would be protected by such
an enactment. The inspection Of cattle
generally would be promoted by 1t, and
the splendid reputation which the state
is daily securing as great butter pro-
ducing section would be encouraged and
extended.
The Clio b e sincerely hopes that such
measure will be introduced, and prom
ises beforehand that it will receive the
warmest support which this paper can
extend to it.