The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-28
CITY WILL NOT PAY
TROUBLE LIKELY TO ARISE OVER
CLAIMS FOR DISEASED CAT
TIE SLAUGHTERED
ONE HUNDRED CLAIMS ON FILE
Legal Department Is Dissatisfied
With the Workings of the Law,
Which rs Too Loose
Iy Worded.

The conference committee, in its con-
sideratien of the budget set aside 81 200
to liquidate certain claims growing out
of the slaughter of cattle by reason of
their being affected with some conta>
gtouS disease, but the chances are ex-
cellent that 1t will never be paid.
The law authorizing the reimburse
ment of dairy herd owners for cattle
condemned by the board of health was
passed by the legislature last winter, but
the methods used in its enforcement and
the certifying of damages have been so
lax that it is likely a long drawn out
suit will ensue before the city will part
with its portion of the costs.
Under the law, herd owners who suf-
fer by reason of the condemnation act
are allowed reimbursement to the extent
of the appraised value of the animal.
the maximum, however, being placed at
$40 The board of appraisers consists of
three men, one selected by the state,
the other by the owner and the third
jointly. This board on viewing the ami
NAL finds the extent of the loss sustain
ed. after deducting its meat value, after
which the proceedings are certified to
the state board, the attestaion being
made by a duly authorized inspector.
This complied with, the state In addition
to settling the cost of the appraisement,
pays one-third OF the damages sustain
ed and the city another. The other third
falls upon the owner.
Were the requirements of the law car
ried out in every respect, possibly no
objection would be made, unless it was
upon the constftutionality of the act,
but of nearly 100 claims now on file in
the legal department, nearly 9 per cent
do not conform with the full require
ments of the law
While the city is Interested to the ex-
tent of one-third of the damages in
CURED; yet it has no part In the APP
praisement. 1t must rely entirely On the
part of the state employees to see that
a proper value is placed. Of all the claims
so far received, not one of them yet has
received the. approval of either Dr.
Ohage or the legal department, and OILY
three or four contain the signature of
the local health officer attesting to its
correctness.
Scope for Inscriptions Work.
1.-THE law is the next thing to graft
erS paradise" said an official yesterday,
and while there is no suspicion of such
here. the law is so laxly observed that
such practices can be employed and the
guilty easily escape"
No sum greater than $40 can be as
sessed for any cow, this being based on
the fact that the average Of daily heads
is scrub stock, but in the claims made
the damages. in few cases are assessed
below $37. A common milk cow should
not most more than SIS.
A peculiar thing in connection with the
appraisers reports, copies OF which have
been filed with the legal department, is
that the appraisment board, with few
exceptions, is the same in nearly every
claim. Henry Stebbing, dairyman, for
some unexplained reason, represents the
state in two-thirds of the claims, Thomas
E. Leonard. or F. w. Lully, the owner,
and Ole Johnson and J. Olson, the disiu-
terested side. This latter member of the
commission is selected jointly. Occasion
ally some other name figures, but 1T is
seldom. All the reports but one or two
bear the signatures. of either William
J. Pomplin or F. d. Ketcham, both state
inspectors. In two of the, claims Pomplin
figures both as a member of the APP
praisement board and the state inspec-
tor.
As recompense for those composing the
jury 81 is paid each of the three mem
bers, which, since the law went into CT
feet, has amounted to a pretty penny.
For the. seemingly, few that. have COM
posed these jurieS the job has been
profitable one.
City Meat Inspector Jansen says the
law in its present shape Is the most
vicious ever enacted 1t is loose, he says,
and besides is against good policy Tho
legal department says it will resist every
claim made until the correctness Of each
is shown to the satisfaction of the health
department.
The health department objects prin-
cipally to the stiffness of the damages
assessed They are all high. While the
department does not say so in as many
words, it intimates the city is getting
the worst of the deal