Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-10-04

" cattle responding TO the tuberculosis
II In Vermont. gave the report out to-
by for publication The report was sub
lifted 10 him September Il. but as the
latter was under consideration by the
rand jury In chttenden county. he felt
"a bat Il would be improper TO make Il pub
until the jury had reported. The jury
Is adjourned It's hearing until october
ard. as Governor Bells term OF office
pires October l. he decided II was best
make the report public at tails time.
DC report follows:
Brattleboro. VT. Sept. Il 1906.
De Hon. Chas. j.. Bell.
Governor OF Vermont.
Els East Hardwiek. VI.
<<pear slr;-In my report 10 you OF Aug
g. 1906, relative TO the charge that
D. State OF Vermont has been dealing
diseased meat. | stated that the COM
ainants and all witnesses Of whom the
bate had any knowledge had been sum
3 moned TO appear before the grand jury
d Il chlttcnden county at Burlington, for
rednesday. September :. An inves,iga-
11pn OF the matter has been going on
ffore the grand jury and the develop
cents are such that I deem II my duty
- make futher report to Your Excellency.
I'd ! beg, therefore. to submit the follow
"a statement OF the facts which appear.
beg to call attention again to the stat
nd covering the matter and its anteee-
Gents. 1t was originally provided by Sec
eIon 1915 OF the Vermont Statutes that
~ cattle showing any response To the
xuberculin test should be condemned by
the commission and slaughtered. ard that
post norton examination should be
M de. and II the animal was found 10
BE- affected with tuberculosis. the carcass
Was to be destroyed. and the owner paid
0ne-half the appraised value. II not dis
eased. II was 10 be returned TO the owner.
VIC should receive the fun amount OF
the appraised value. BY Act No. S. OF
ltce the requirement was made that the
carcasses should be buried Act No. liG
Of 1894 repeats this provision and provides
thar "the condemned animal shall be dis
posed OF as directed by the commissioner
In charge" The cattle commission have
construed the law of 1904 as giving them
authorlty TO dispose OF the condemned
animal either alive or dead. TO whomso-
ever they saw nj. with the understand
Ing In each case that the animal was
to be slaughtered and post norton ex-
animation made. and the disposition OF
the carcas TO be governed by the result,
Of the post morten. They claim that the
warrant for this construction is the fact
thar the law OF 1894 doesn't require the
siau ghter OF the animal before Il Is dis
pcsed OF. II is to my mind doubtful II
IN, construction placed upon the law by
the cattle commissioo is warranted. Sec
tion 4. OF Act No. IS. OF 1902. contem-
plates the slaughter OF animals that re-
opond TO the tuberculin test. II provides
u terms If the cattle commissioners
s>1eem necessary to a thorough investi-
ALTON of the case, they may apply the
tubereulin test, and II the arfmals are
found to have a contagious disease. shall
cause them to be killed forthwith" etc.
The last clause of the section says that
tuberculosis ''shall not be construed as
an epidemic disease" but II would seem
to leave 1t classed as contagious dis
ease. Act No. 1i6 of 1894 does not repeal
Gection OF said Act of 1902 The change
n the law as to the disposition of the
animal is by amendment OF Section OF
the Act of 1902 so Section of the latter
&C, is still in force and | therefore doubt
the authority of the cattle commission
70 dispose OF any condemned animal be-
fore 1t is slaughtered.
ST The regulatioss of the United States
xovernment for the disposition of car
c4sses of diseased cattle do not require
ABSOLUTELY the destruction of the carcass
0f every animal which responds to the
tuberculn test. nor Of every animal which
ohows signs of tuberculosis upon post
uAcrtem EXAMINATION. The United States
regulations covering the matter are con-
tAined in Regulation Is. Paragraph * OF
the regulations of the department OF
agriculture, issued under act of Congress
Improved June 80, 1906. and these regula.
tl0r,s permit the sale for food purposes
Of carcasses Of animals showing slight
calsifled or eneapsulated LESSONS confined
to certain tissues, which are specifically
named In the regulation. The regulations
Of the United States government, are by
the law of Massachusetts, adopted fol
that commonwealth
DID NOT FOLLOW THE LAW.
The cattle commission of Vermont II
appears, did not strictly follow the law
OF 1902 which requires that the carcasses
Of condemned animals shall be buried
III Several instances 1t has appeared that
lhe commission took the condemned an.
lmals to the slaughter house of the Bur.
XIngton Rendering company. at Burling
<0n, and had them slaughtered there
md disposed of the carcass for fertilizer
purposes. Certain members of the com
mission admit that this was done. The
tommisson have no records to show t
What extent or in how many instances
All this was in violation of the law o.
hen, t1,A Ia &f Il h.