The Republican journal., 1907-01-03
THE CATTLE COMMISSION.
What the Commissioners Say Of Tubercu-
losis in Maine Cattle.

What the Commissioners Say Of Tubercu-
losis in Maine Cattle.
In the December bulletin of the State
agricultural department the cattle com.
missioners, F. o. Beal of Bangor, John
M. Deering of Saco and Frank F. Adams
of Bowdoin. treat to some length tuber-
culosis in Maine cattle. They give the
summary of the business Of the last
two years as follows:
1905, cattle condemned, 634; horses
condemned, 49, Cost per animal, in
Guiding expenses, $35.25. Cost to con-
denim each animal, including expenses,
! $12O7.
| 1906, cattle condemned, 844; horses
condemned, 81. Cost per animal, in
Guiding expenses, $35. Cost to con-
denim each animal, including expenses,
1926.
The number of cattle tested in the
Portland investigation was 5000 num-
Der condemned. 80; per cent diseased,
six.
1866, number of pure blood cattle
tested, SS5; number condemned in
Maine herds, 156. Foreign pure blood
condemned, 80; per cent. diseased, 90.
1906, number of sheep condemned, 40.
Total number of cattle and horses
condemned, 1905 and 1906, 1883. Total
expenses for the two years, $50, 3SO.79.
$4,000 The extra work done by the
law cost nearly $4,000, and the extra
work done through the Portland inves-
tigation cost $4,000.
"The commissioners are aware that
they have expended large amount of
money the last two years-nearly $685.
600 more than the legislature appropri-
ated for this department, and are re-
sponsible for many things, but did not
take the responsibility of expanding
dollar over the appropriations until they
had consulted the Governor and Coun-
Gil, and while they are servants of the
State, if they have performed their
duties faithfully and in accordance
with the law, treating all parties fairly,
without fear or favor, then the COM
missioners are clear and the response
bility falls upon the people, simply be-
dollars worth of work that has been
done by them, and it will make no diff
ference whether there is cattle CON-
missioner or not, or whether the State
provides money to pay for testing ami
mails or not, the producers of dairy farm
products will find in the future that it
will be to their financial benefit to the
consumers of their products that they
are produced from healthy herds, and
those who do not look after this end of
the business will be obliged to accept a
low price for their product.
''The custom previous to 1904 in re-
lation to pure food blood cattle being
brought into the State for breeding pur-
poses was for the commissioners to
grant permits upon the test made by
the veterinary in the State where the
cattle were born. The commissioners
have destroyed several large herds, for
the disease was traced back to some
animal that had been brought in from
another State and used in the herd for
breeding purposes.
This condition of things was reported
by the commissioners to the agricultur-
al committee two years ago and they
thought it advisable to pass q law where
by the pure blood cattle brought into
Maine should be tested by. order of the
Maine commissioners within 80 days
after arrival, and also all pure blood
cattle sold in the State should be tested
before delivery. The commissioners
had no way of knowing what the ex-
pense of this law would be, but the
legislature appropriated $4,000 more
than the commissioners expended in
two years previous, which brought the
appropriation to 100000 for 1905 and
1906.
"The first year the law was enforced
we condemned % cattle and the last
year seven that were brought into the
State for breeding purposes. The cattle
were destroyed without an appraisal,
being total loss to the owners on &C
count of the law prohibiting an APP
praisal upon any animal until it had
been owned in the State three years.
! The record shows that this law has put
check upon diseased animals being
shipped into the State for breeding pur-
poses, and in the opinion of the COM
missioners it has made a decided i'm
provement in this line.
"The records also show that before
the new law was passed the commits
sioners' work was confined practically
to great herds where only about six per
cent were found diseased, practically
leaving the pure blood cattle uninvesti-
gated, where 20 per cent have been
found diseased by, enforcing the new
law. Now it would not be fair to claim
|
total number of 1856 cattle condemned
since the enactment, because very prob
ably there would have been some found
had it not been for the new law. just
how many we cannot tell but it would
be fair estimate to claim that it has
caused the condemning of at least $780,
These cattle cost the State nearly $50
each, which will account for So, 500 and
the estimated extra expense will be at
, least So, 500, making total of $4,000,
and this will account for so much of the
extra amount expended by the commits
sioners this last year.
'The other law providing that all pure
blood cattle shall be tested has worked
we'll, there having been SS5 pure blood
cattle tested, out of which 1856 have
been found diseased.
''Many have the idea that the COM
missioners believe that the tuberculine
test is infallible. This is wrong i'm
preston. We do not believe that, yet
it is best in diagnosis of the case. This
is nsed in smaller countries where tuber-
culosis exists. The commissioners say
that the tuberculine test does not injure
! the animal"
In the same bulletin, F. L. Russell,
veterinary of the Maine Agricultural