Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Statement from Secretary Victor l.
Spear Regarding the Work Of the
Cattle Comml.stOMers.
To the Editor Of tho Fres Press:

To the Editor Of tho Free Press:
Since my return home from an absence
OF few days, my attention has been call
ed TO an article in the Free Press OF Jan
uary "a, entitled, Expense of Bovine
tuberculosis Crusade" | am surprised In
reading tho article to find that 20 many
errors appear in the statements there
MADE and in justice to the work and your
selves am sure you will he pleased to
make corrections. The first error that
notice IL. where you say that the law In
force previous to tie acts OF 1909 was
passed In 1901. This law was enacted in
1894. The next is in the following pare
graph where YOU say that the act OF 1872
liked the limit OF appraisal At sa Ths
limit hxed by the act il 80. In your merit
paragraph in referring to section Of act
No =, 1902, You say that the owner may
receive so per cent OF purchase price. hut
shall not receive more than $50. The act
reads: That IN no cas-. shall the - per
cent he reckoned upon sun greater
than so" In tho following paragraph in
referring 10 the indemnity provided for
cattl" killed in Massachusetts and found
TO be diseased you asv that. lin no case
shall tho total paid for Zach animal ba
greater than Sc" The act provides that
In no case shall tho IN per cent he reckon
ed an a sum greater than IA and the
amount received for the animal i'm Massa-
You say that it IL reported that advantage
Is being taken A. some OF thu diferen,
provisions OF The present law. but do not
specify which provisions are being SO
treated.
In summing up the expenditures OF the
cattle commission for 1853 reported to
you by this state auditor i. tina followin 9
statement: ut thus appears that the az
sregate Of the payments by Vermont cat
tie commissioners during tho Il months
ending January |. 1904. for condemned cat
tie Of the various classes tmbra ced by the
legislation Of 1872 reached the surprising
sum OF 81. nc G. This ia more than the
amount paid out by the members OF the
ard OF agriculture for cattle. hOroes
sheep condemned and killed during
the two years OF 1871 and 1907. and II the
rate of payments in 1895 should ~ con-
tinued during 1904 the total for the bien-
.fial period would be no lseS than 50, 2Sa. n
az compared with so. 2sS.75 during tho
previous biennial term"
am puzzled to know where YOU get the
figures given as covering the expense of
tho board Of agriculture as cattle com
missioners for the biennial term Of 1sN
and 1909 and find IL to he so LIS. The
published report OF this board shows that
from July /. 1870. 10 July /. 1852, there was
pa ID for animals condemned ard killed
So. 0C0H In the period referred to 2,213
demned and killed During the year 49,.
1900 have le-n tested and about l2m con-
d-nncd and Killed.. IN view Of the fact
THAT tho indemnity paid for cattle killed
during lqt was SO yer cent % their value
and In previous years only 10 per cent was
paid IL may appear that the work Of tho
past lar compares fd"orably with the
work done in previou. years. A. the pay
mont OF the present por cent OF indemnity
provided by the act OF 1907 has the APP
prevail Of tn" Free Press In tho article I'M
der consideration. am un9hlc IN under
stand upon what tho criticism is based.
unless il is through a ni-conc-pticn of
the actual conditions 1t doc. not Seem
TO me important whether the expense
amounts to more or less than in previous
wears. the question should be. has The
money been used judiciousiy and as pro
Nided by law.
In paving for 100 cattle killed during
til" pas year it simply shows that the
owners of these cattle 50 ft to accep;
the provisions Of the present law. ! a.
not suppose that any one expected tns'
an increase Of 50 per cent in the amount
Of Indemnity paid for diseased animals
ana increasing the limit Of appraisal from
go to $50 would result in smaller cI-
p.ns- Cor this work. These changes were
made evidently FOR the purpose OF inducing
people to clean up their herds that great
or progress might be made with tho work
and it las certainly had HAT effect
As to paying Tor cattle condemned and
killed IN Massachusetts, The prcseut Is.u.
lation. Of tn. Massachusetts commits
sion requires a to.t in msssachus-tis at
tho three Quarantine stations, Brighton
Watrrtorn and som.rvillo and they dc
not accept ct these stations tests made
hcforc cattle are ahlp0cd thcre For this
reason act sG 1902 has provided indemnity
for cattl" condemned at these stations
from Vermont. II such cattle were t-st-
90 in Vermont. before shipping, tho own
ers would claim So per cent indemnity -,
those found diseased in addition to the
hide. When condemned in Massachusetts
the shipper receives ~ per cent Of the
price actually paid for the animals ir
Vermont less any amount that he receives
for th> condemned animals in Na-sa
chusotts. quite often animals that fail &c
pass = satisfactory tuOerculiu test dc
pass meat inspection and soil for beef a
prices varying from SO 10 SIS each. So
that tho amount actually paid for these
animals by the State il somewhat lee,
thsn would have been paid IL they hac
been tested ana condemned before ship
ping. Shippers are Obliged - make very
full report under oath showing OF whon
tho animal, ware bought, price paid. de
scripton OF animal and date OF shipping
and also furnish c-rtfcate from tn.
Massachusetts inspector showing the
cause FOR which the snimal vas condemn
ed. have had no reason TO think. up &c
tie present time. that any unjust CLAIM
has been presented under the provision,
Of act No. So Of 1902 In several instances
It has been Impossible. TO allow tn. claim,
presented under the provisions or thi. act
on account OF neglect OF the parties to fur
nish the evidence required.
The commission i. not entirely plea sed
with the law az now in force and vii
make several suggestions in their r~ro-t
which they believe will mske il more
economical aud effective. In the mann
time We feel that tho law IL entitled to fair
treat ment md n a correct statement ol
the work done under il.
Very truly yours.
VICTOR 7. SPEAR Scc'y.
Randolph Jan. -, 800
FROM A WESTERN SUBSCRIBER.
Hotel Brown. FL Dorado, Kansas
January -. lsI