Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-10-05

to the Burlington plant and nothing to
show how many of them were used for
food purposes and how many for fer
tilizer. The testimony is conflicting upon
the latter point. but It is evident that a
large portion OF the cattle taken to the
Burlington plant were sold for food pur-
poses. Cattle taken there have been
slaughtered. and are supposed to have
been subject. all. to the post mortem ex-
animation OF DR.. Rich, OF the commits
sion, although there has not been due
care exercised in the handling of these
cattle. and the lack of records and data
concerning II leaves II impossible to show
conclusively whether the cattle have all
been subject to post norton examina-
ton by him.
1.-The way the matter is claimed to
have been handled is this: The cattle
are slaughtered. sided, some OF the
internal organs being left attached
to the carcass; they are hung on a track
to await the inspection Of DR.. Rich he
comes and inspects them, making record
of the post mortem of each carcass, which
is supposed 20 be numbered to correspond
with the number of the creature as It is
slaughtered. Those which he finds dis
eased on post norton are slashed with a
knife to indicate condemnation and are
taken TO the rendering tank and put into
fertilizer: the others are sold for food
purposes.
"Dr. Rich testihes that he has some
lines seen to II that the cattle marked
as diseased have been put into the rem
dering tank for fertilizer, but that he
has no practice about this. and is not
able to look after II in all cases. so that
the result is that the matter is practically
in the hands Of the management OF the
Rendering company The secretary of
the cattle commission has on file a
record OF all tests made. and a record of
the post mortem examination of such
cattle as are slaughtered at the owners
home or at the plant OF the Burlington
Rendering company. The Identification
of the creature is simply by number. and
1t is impossible to tell by these records
which Of the animals taken to the Rem
dering company have been put into fer
tilizer and which used for food purposes.
1T is not possible from any evidence
so far produced to show that any Of the
carcasses found diseased by the post
norton examination made by DR.. Rich,
have been sold or used for food purposes,
and the presumption must be. Of course,
that the management of the Rendering
company have dealt honestly with the
state. and have destroyed all carcasses
found to be diseased, but the fact re-
mains that the only protection which the
state has in the way business is con-
Quoted between the cattle commission and
the Rendering company. is the integrity
of the managers of the Rendering COM
pany. For there are no records kept and
no supervision exercised by the cattle
commission which is Of any value in
determining IL the law has been obeyed.
ut is apparent from all that has de-
veloped that the tuberculin test Is by
no means sure. and that very many
cattle have been condemned under IL
which have afterward passed the United
States government inspection and the
post norton inspection Of the STATE COM
mission, and been used for food pur-
poses.
1.-THE accounts kept by the secretary
of the cattle commission. both the for
mer encumbent of that Office. Mr.. Spear.
and the present secretary, Mr.. Terrill.
do not undertake to itemize the receipts
for condemned cattle disposed of. The
only account kept is the gross amount
of each check received, and from whom
received. so it is impossible to say how
much the state secured from any one
animal or herd of animals condemned.
and It would not be possible. without
exhaustive examination by an expert ac-
counuant, to determine whether all re-
ceipts have been properly accounted for.
1t is TO be presumed. Of course, that the
state officers have dealt honestly. but
the only reliance the state has is upon
the integrity OF the officers. for there
are no books or accounts from which II
can be determined. The check for the
net amount is turned over by the drover,
or from the Rendering company, to the
commissioner in charge OF the partic-
ular cattle in question, and by the COM
missioner turned over to the secretary OF
the commission. who forwards the check
to the state treasurer"
IMr Fits here includes in his report
sample statements showing how the re-
turns have been madel
IT suggest that ir would be we'll to
employ at once an expert accountant to
go over the accounts OF the cattle COM
missloners and investigate and audit
all the items OF their transactions
in the condemnation and disposition
OF cattle. 1t can be done much
better now than later. and will clear up
all question as to the detail of each trans
action, so far as the same can be dis
closed by the papers In the hands Of the
state commission. and from the books
of the drovers and companies to whom
the cattle had been consigned.
1.-THE manager of the Rendering COM
pany testifies that the books accounts
and memoranda Of his company, cover
ing the deal with the state and cattle
commissioners previous to July last, are
at the home ONCE Of the company at
Boston, Mass. Demand has been made
for their production. That matter is
with the grand jury, and will be dealt
with as best it can under the law"
The Penalty for the Sale Of Diseased
Meat.
With regard to the penalty for the sale
of diseased meat Mr. Fits quotes from
the law 81 1902 which reads: IF any per-
son shall sell or offer 10 sell any cattle or
other domestic animals known by him to
be infected with bovine tuberculosis, or
any other contagious disease, or any
disease dangerous to public health. or
shall sell or offer to sell any part or
parts of such cattle or other domestic
animals, except their skins, he shall be
fined not more than $500. or be imprls-
oned not more than one year, or both"
In conclusion the report makes this
comment and suggestion:
"The above penal section was not
changed by the amendments of 1904. so
1t is in force today. But section 4 of
the same act, No, So. OF 1902. provides:
All prosecutions for violations of the
provisions Of this act shall be commenced
within six months from the commission
thereof and not after And section 10 OF
the same act repeats all acts and parts
OF acts inconsistent with 1t, which leaves
It a bit doubtful as to just what could
be done in the way Of prosecuting for
calling diaaa sad meat for anV offenca