The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-02
fRANK 3. HONE. Rdllor and Puhllshel
Mr.. Brooks sophlstries.


present Cattle Commissioner you are
in error. While have not the pleas.
ure of his acquaintance have no rea-
son to doubt that he is all you claim
him to be personally.
| said that the office of cattle com.
missioner was sinecure and | repeat
1t. Any office, the work of which can
be combined with the duties of an
other department without detriment
to either and with benefit to one is a
slnecure and for economy sake if for
no other reason should be abolished
The work of the cattle commissioner
could be as | said combined to advan-
tage with either the State Board of
Health or the Commission of Agricul
ture. Without discussing your OBJ
lection to the former | would ask you
your objection to placing the work un-
der the latter commission.
| said that the work had received in
efficient handling by the present auth
critics. In as much as the inefiiciency
Of subordinate reflects upon the su-
perior responsible for him this re-
fleets upon the commissioner, neither
more nor less. VIII cite you three
instances.
/. | have had information from
people whose integrity Ihavenoreason
to suspect, that In several instances
to their knowledge. run down. dried
up dairy cows, such as are commonly
sold at this time of the year for can
ners at a cent pound, have been APP
praised and valued as new mich cows
in good condition.
2. have, at different times, by
two men. one butcher who had work
ed under the direction of the state
agent, the other a layman Of more
than ordinary knowledge of the sub
ject. had pointed out to me. In car
cases, conditions which were not les
ions Of tuberculosis but which they
said were commonly diagnosed as
such by the states agents.
One of these conditions was caused
by an intestinal parasite; the other
was a degeneration OF the liver due
to NAL nutrition.
8. / am informed that one man
testing for the state Is a graduate OF
a correspondence school Would you
consider correspondence school doc
tor capable of attending you II you
we're i'll? For the same reason should
the question Of public health be en-
trusted to a veterinarian Of the same
stamp DO you consider such a man
efficient to handle such a delicate re
agent as tuberculln?
For these reasons and some others
[ advocated the placing Of the tuber
culin In the hands OF trained yeterin.
lrlans hired and retained for that
| special purpose. The work would be
done better and much cheaper than
Il has been under the present system
)f employing practicing veterinarians
What criticism have you TO make to
hat?
| advocate making testing compul
sorry for the reason that tuberculosis
will never be eradicated until II is
possible to reach every herd. that OF
the ignorant and prejudiced as vel
as those who would test voluntarily
Would you expect TO get the rot out
OF barrel Of apples by picking out q
decayed one here and there or would
sou pick out every specked one? Let
ne tell you that under the present
| system you will see the same expendi
ture of public funds year after year
with no result accomplished II you
are satisfied that II should be 50. very
WE'LL but under the circumstances
your argument that the state canno
afford a compulsory test loses force
II the state can afford 10 spend In the
neighborhood OF hundred thousand
dollars In twenty months with ne
lasting good accomplished. why would
Il not be better judgment to set aside
a certain amount 10 be expended eacl
year I'm this work. begin at a giveI
point. eradicate the disease step By
step. town by town. until the appro
priation for that year had been eX
pended and a given area cleaned up
Then by power OF quarantine prevent
the entrance into that area OF infect
cd animals. year by year extending
the cleared area until finally the en-
tire state has been cleaned up DC
you see anything the matter with thai
plan?
You claim that the work has beer
done efficiently. yet YOU say that the
state should get as much as possible
out OF the carcasses killed. While
am not certain, II ! remember rightly
the law says that these cattle may be
slaughtered on the farm or removed
10 a rendering plant The carcass OF
every animal killed Is worth twenty
/ I've cents a hundred for fertilizer
Why has this not been obtained FOL
the state? | will go further than tina
and say that the law should be sc
amended as to permit the sale for fooG
OF animals In whose carcasses the les
Ions are slight. localized and retro
gressive.
You pass without comment my rec
ommendation OF the Bang system o
segregation. ! would suggest that YOU
inform yourself regarding the same
and express your opinion thereon.
You say that YOU do not know VII,
I am. nor whether my opinion Is WORT
anything. Therefore I will tell yol
who am, though I wish Il understood
that | do not speak In an official car
acity nor as the mouthpiece OF an
one. | simply exercise the right @
every citizen TO express his persona
opinion.
Whether that opinion Is worth any
thing or not YOU will have to deter
mine for Yourself. II u is not. Il
certainly not from a lack OF exper
ence In or knowledge OF the subieS
discussed.
/ presume that YOU and the paper
which copied your editorial will hay
the fairness to give this letter IN
same publicity.
r. o Brock. u. V. s.
Veterinary Inspector In Charge u
Bureau OF Animal Industry, Bu
llngton, VI
Huntington. VI, oct 26. '0s.
II Mr. Brock Is so far wrong when }
states that the oflce Of cattle con