Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-10
Contagious Diseases of Cattle.


An important bill has passed both
houses of Congress and been signed by
the President, comforting sweeping pow
ers on the Secretary of Agriculture in case
of outbreaks of contagious and infectious
diseases of live stock. The Secretary of
Agriculture is given the authority by
the bill to establish rules and regulations
concerning the expectation and trans
portation of live stock from any place
within the United States where he may
have reason to believe such disease ex-
lists, and all such rules shall have the
force of law. These powers are absolute
and will superSede all state quarantine
regulations applying to live stock in in
terstate commerce.
Subjoined is the full text of the law
"An act 10 enable the secretary of
agriculture to more effectually suppress
and prevent the spread of contagious
aud infectious diseases of live stock, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the Uuited States
in Congress assembled, that in order to
enable the secretary of agriculture to
tagiOuS pleuropneumonia, foot-and-
mouth disease, and other dangerous,
contagious, infectious and communica-
BILE diseases, in cattle and other live stock,
and to prevent the spread of such dis
eases, the powers conferred on the sec
retary of the treasury by sections four
and five of an act entitled An Act for
the establishment of Bureau of Animal
Industry, to prevent the expectation of
diseased cattle, aud to provide means
for the suppression of pleuropneumonia
and other contagious diseases among
domestic animals approved May 20,
1884, (23 u. 5. 81 are hereby conferred
on the secretary of agriculture to be
exercised exclusively by him. He is
hereby authorized and directed, from
time to time, TO establish such rules and
regulations concerning the expectation
and transportation of live stock from
auv place within the United States where
he NAV have reason to believe such dis
eases may exist into and through any
state or territory, including the Indian
Territory and into and through the Dis
trict of Columbia and TO foreign coun-
tries, as he may deem it necessary, and
all such rules and regulations shall have
the force of the law. Wherever any in-
spector or assistant inspector of the
brreau of animal industry shall issue a
certificate showing that such officer had
inspected any cattle or other live stock
which were about to be shipped, driven
or transported from such locality to an
other. as above stated, and had found
them free from Texas or splenetic fever
infection. pleuropneumOnia, foot-and-
mouth disease, or any other infectious,
contagious, or communicable disease,
such animals so inspected and certified,
may be shipped, driven or transported
from such place into and through any
state or territory, including the Indian
Territory and into and through the Dis
trict of Columbia, or they may be ex-
ported from the United States without
further inspection or the exaction of fees
of any kind, except such as may at any
time be ordered or exacted by the secre-
tary of agriculture; and all such animals
shall at all times be urder the control and
supervision of the bureau of animal in
dustry of the agricultural department
for the purposes of such inspection.
Sec 2. That the secretary of agri-
culture shall have authority to make
such regulations and take such measures
as he may deem proper to prevent the
introduction or dissemination OF any
contagious, Infectious, or communicable
disease of animals from foreign coun-
try into the United States or from one
state or territory of the United States or
the District of Columbia to another, ana
to seize, quarantine, and dispose OF any
hay, straw, forage or similar material,
or any meats, hides, or other animal
products coming from an infected foreign
country to the United States, or from
the state or territory or the District OF
Columbia in transit to another state or
territory or the District of Columbia
whenever in his judgment such action is
advisable in order to guard against the
introduction or spread of such contagion.
Sec. 3. That any person, company, OF
corporation knowingly violating the
provisions of this act or the orders or
regulations made in pursuance thereon
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on
conviction shall be punished by tine OF
not less than hundred dollars nor more
than one thousand dollars, or by i'm
prisionment not more than one year, OF
by both such fine and imprisonment. -
Maine Farmer.