Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-08-31
FOR TOWN REPRESENTATIVE,
Charles A. Boyden.
Kalsomining the Beef Scandal.

The more the people of Vermont
learn about the diseased meat scandal
the more disgusting become the at
tempts of the ring republicans to cover
the whole matter with thick coat of
kalsomine until after election. Attor-
ney-General Fits has reported at length
on the matter to Governor Bell. He
saws the charges that state officers sold
condemned cattle for meat are unwar-
ranted He adds: "The people OF Yer
mont have the right to demand that
meat found to be diseased shall be de-
stroyed or put beyond all possible
chance for use for food purposes. l
therefore suggest that the cattle COM
missioners be instructed to see to 1t in
every instance that meat found to be
diseased be destroyed in their pres
ence.n By this statement Attorney
General Fits practically admits that
things have been wrong in the past and
ought to be corrected at once. But his
recommendation is not broad enough.
He says all diseased meat ought to be
destroyed in the presence of the cattle
commissioners. Why not go farther
and say that all diseased cattle ought to
be destroyed in this way9 The claim is
frequently made that meat from tuber-
culous cattle is not always unfit to eat,
and Mr.. Fits s recommendation would
give the cattle commissioners plenty of
opportunity to crawl out of this loop
hole.
In spite of the reiterated statements
of the machine newspapers and orators
that there is nothing discreditable
about the whole episode the fact re-
mains that cattle condemned on ac-
count of being affected with tuberculo-
sis have been sold by the state cattle
commissioners to persons whom they
knew would never let them 60 for any
thing but beef. The machine orators
claim that such sales were made ac-
cording to law, which is very true, but
the fact that republican administra-
ton allowed such a statute to be passed
does not make the tuberculous beef fit
to eat. 1t is also claimed that the
shipment of cattle into Massachusetts,
was done according to law and that
bo tot tok Of
ment of meat that goes into its bor-
ders. Yet with the lax method of |
meat inspection that has been in prac-
tice everywhere it is not difficult to
imagine what would become of dis
eased cattle if they were taken to
by drover anxious to
make as much money as possible.
An illustration of the state s method
of disposing of condemned cattle can
be found right here in Brattleboro. In
January, 1905, SO cattle belonging to
the Bradley farm herd were found to
be affected with tuberculosis and CON
lemned by the cattle commission. Dr.
George c. Stephens of White River
Junction, a member of this commission,
zane to Brattleboro and with George
W. Pierce appraised the condemned ;
animals, allowing the Bradley estate
30 per cent. of their value. The cattle {
we're afterward shipped to Somerville,
Mass, to be made into fertilizer" A
ocal drover, who is familiar with ev-
Try detail of that transaction, says t
hat the condemned animals were sold &
~ the cattle commission to Massa- '
husetts drover who made bid for 7
hem. The local cattle-man further 8
avs that he knows that NONE OF G
HE CATTLE WENT ANYWHERE c
YEAR A FERTILIZER PLANT BUT L
WE'RE KILLED AT A SOMERVILLE Q