The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-03
CHANGE DUTIES OF
STATE CATTLE
COMMISSIONER
Henry S. Wilson Appears Be-
fore the House
MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS
Would Reduce Per Cent Paid by State
to Farmers for Condemned
Cattle.

Montpelier, Dec. 3--When House
bin 232 was reached in the House yes
terday afternoon on motion of Mr..
Fletcher of Cayendish the House went
into committee Of the whole and spent
the entire afternoon In discussing
with II. S. Wilson Of Arlington state
cattle commissioner, the merits Of this
bill which proposes radical changes
in the duties of the cattle commission
err
The great interest In this whole
question Of tuberculosis was evident
all through the afternoon by the many
questions that were put to Commits
sioner Wilson which bore on all pha.
SEES Of the subject Commissioner VIII
son recommended a reduction Of 10
per cent OF the amount paid by the
state for diseased cattle killed from
10 TO G5 per cent He said he did this
because Of the talk heard around the
state house and in all parts OF the
state that by paying such large per
centage the state was Offering a prem
ium 70 the farmers TO get rid OF their
poorer COWS He also recommended
that the commissioner be given power
and authority TO test any herd OF cat
tie in the state and that the regulat-
ions in regard to killing diseased cat
tie shall apply TO tuberculosis as well
as TO any other disease. Mr.. Wilson
also thought that the commissioner
should have more than 60 days to set
tie for diseased cattle killed
! Another thing recommended by the
states cattle commissioner was that
cattle that pass the tuberculin test
shall have an ear tag furnished by the
state and paid for by the owners OF
the cattle He was also opposed t
the present law which protects ship
pers of mich cows TO Massachusett,
because he considers II class legisla
ton. Mr.. Wilson said that II the
state is to pay for such diseased cattle
it should know the value OF these ami
mails and not pay an average price o
$50 as Is now done He further sal,
that the state should not pay all thu
expenses for testing cattle that come
into the state under a permit In hi
opinion bOvo vaccine is very grea
help In stamping out tuberculosis.
In reply 10 one question, Commits
sioner Wilson said that probably il
30 per cent of the cattle killed by tn,
state. the meat would be saleable. II
his opinion the state should not az
praise the value OF cattle killed with
out the owners OF the cattle hayinl
anything TO say about it, He favorel
compulsory examination as grea
help in stamping out this disease
In reply TO another question MI
Wilson said that the number OF cat
tie killed i'm the state from July 1906
10 September. 1908. was 1854, al
| these being killed by order OF tn
state. He said statistics show that "
have reduced the number Of disease
cattle In Vermont from twelve to eigh
per cent In the last TWO years. In tn
Judgment OF the commissioner IN
law which permits the expenditure @
$1,000 during a biennial term for Ill
eased cattle should be amended. sti
nc the same time he did not anticipat
any such large expenditure during IN
next two years. The committee ina
ly rose and the bill was ordered to II,
Commissioner Wilson's appearance
before the House created an UNUSUAL
favorable impression upon the men
bers. He was questioned on many di
ferent topics relating to his depar
I ment and his answers in every cas-
showed a comprehensive knowledge {
detail hardly to be expected Of an o
fetal who is as yet serving under hi
, FIRST appointment. The commission
, er's replies showed that he has n,
only performed the duties OF his ofiiC
but that he has made constellation
, study OF the matters pertaining to h
!. department.