The evening times., 1900-03-30

The District Commissioners, after deal
of discussion among themselves, sent today
somewhat tardy reply to the Senate res
olution asking for information relative to
the proclamation issued requiring muzzles
to be placed upon all dogs running at large.
The Commissioners are evidently acting
| upon the defensive, in view of the storm
of public opposition which their dog muz
zling proclamation has aroused, and their
letter to Senator Mcmillan in reply to the
Senate enquiry is couched in emphatic lam
guage
The Commissioners state that in Novem-
Der last the fact was brought to their at
tention that hydrophoba had appeared
within the District of Columbia, several
dogs suffering with the disease technically
| known as rabies having been reported
through the Police and Health Department.
Acting upon this information, the Commits
sioners say that they instituted an official
enquiry, the result Of which was that the
Secretary of Agriculture certified in a let
ter that rabies did then exist in the Dis
trct and in the adjoining States. and the
|
ers also an order directing that all dogs
brought into the District should be muz
Zled as well as those taken from il. At
the same time the Commissioners state
that they received a notification from the
Health Officer that rabies was TO some ez-
tent prevalent in the District.
The law authorizing the proclamation
tsection l. act OF Congress, approved June
l9 1879 is then quoted as follows:
See. I. Whenever il shall be made to
appear to the Commissioners that there
are good reasons for believing that any
dog or dogs within the District are mad,
it shall be the duty OF the Commissioners
to issue proclamation requiring that all
dogs shall for a period TO be defined in TIE
proclamation, wear good, substantial muZ
Zles, securely put on, so as TO prevent
them from biting or swapping; and any dog
going at large during the period defined
by the Commissioners without such muZzle
shall be taken by the PoundmasteT and i'm
pounded, subject TO the provisions of sec
tion 81
FurthermoIe. the Commissioners state
that they were advised by the Attorney for
the District that the act was mandatory,
and that II left them no discretion what
ever in the matter Under its terms the
Attorney said it was the plain duty OF
the Commissioners 10 issue the proClama-
tion, in compliance with the law, which
they accordingly did Gu December 70. 1893
Appended 10 this statement is a report
from the Health officer stating that since
the proclamation was issued seventeen
cases of rabies in dogs in the District have
been reported.
As further grounds for their action the
Commissioners state that they have rea-
son 20 believe the disease known as rabies
comes through incubation only, and that
the period required for its development
may vary from two weeks 10 twelve weeks,
according to circumstances. With this
knowledge before them. the Commission
ers declare that they felt constrained to
specify term of six months during
which the proclamation should remain OPP
eratiye. This was done. they aver. in the
hope that all cases of the disease might
have time TO develop and be effectually
stamped out
In view of all the facts in the matter
as we'll as the plain commands OF the law.
the Commissioners declare the belief that
they were fully justified in their action
There is every prospect that the mass
meeting OF dog owners and those opposed
to the muZZle order. which will be held at
the National Rifles ArmOry tonight. will /
be largely attended. Numerous speeches |
viii be made and the growing sentiment (
against the order will probably be crystal
lized into a resolution asking Congress |
10 do away with the mandate of the Com !
missioners which has met with such gen |
eral opposition.