Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-04

for food purposes. Other cattle condemn
ed were sold for $s head, and the re-
port shows that It must have been I'M
derstood by Commissioner Spear, who
made the bargain, that the drover would
use a considerable portion for food pur-
poses, for they were not worth anywhere
near that sum for fertilizer.
It Is stated that by the arrangements
with the Burlington Rendering company
the State was to receive two cents a
pound for the portion used for food pur-
poses and one cent pourd for what
went into fertilizer, but the company
were trusted by the commissioners to
pay what was right. The secretary Of
the commission is said to have on file
a record of all tests made and a record
of the post mortem examination of such
owners home or Mt the Burlington rem
dering plant. DR.. Rich slashed with a
knife the carcasses rejected to indicate
condemnation, but he did not invariably
follow up the matter to see that such
carcasses were put in watts.
Attorney General Fits rena rked that the
only protection which the State has in
its business conducted between the cattle
commission and the Burlington Render
Ing company Is the integrity Of the man
ayers Of the rendering company, and
this would seem to apply largely to all
condemned cattle sold by the commits
sioners for the State TO drovers.
Another Interesting point made by At
torney General Fits IS that from All
which has developed in this connection
it is apparent the tuberculin test Is by
no rlcans sure since very many cattle
condemned by the commission have after
afterward passed the United States in
spection AMI the post mortem inspection
of the cattle commission itself and been
rscl ror food purposes.
1t transprcs that the punishment OF
persons selling diseased meat for food
Imprisonment or both, is limited by
provision that all prosecutions under the
act shall he begun within six months from
the commission Of the OFFENCE and not
after. The attorney general very properly
recommends that this be changed so that
the selling of diseased meat may be pun
iSbe pt hpr
statute OF limitations be made three years.
1t appears from the developments in
connection with this case and from the
report of the attorney general that n num-
Der of "canners" and other cattle have
been sold to the State to good advantage
under this act and that the law needs n
thorough ovcrhauling so that our tax
payers may not be further imposed up
on in this manner.
The law evidently reeds to be made
so plain that cattle commissioners will be
compelled to use ordinary business sense
in dealing with the States interests as
well as common sense in protecting the
public henlth All this the present COM
missioners have not employed.
1t is plainly the duty of the attorney
general 10 thoroughly investigate tn,
whole matter to determine whether dis
eascd meat has been sold for food pur-
poses. and If the Rendering company or
any other concern or person has been
guilty of offending 10 punish the same 10
the full extent of he law.
Governor Bell aas taken action far
as seemed to him proper in view of the
fact that the grand jury of Chitten-
den county has not yet completed its
Investigation of tho case owing to the fail
ure of the Burlington Rendering company
to produce its books 90 ordered, The
declaration that Dr Ricns's position on
the commission is vacant would seem
to be simply preliminary step toward TIE
clearing up of this whole matter. ar1 the
public will he satisfied with nothing short
of a thorough housekeeping.