The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-28
FIR ma / naSt. eanm ans ruSashs
NO HALF WAY STEP WANTED

Ol uOlueSllC Uullidl lOuuu ulStd5eu.
1t would be a mighty blow against
agriculture and rural development in
this state were a farmer exposed to
the danger of having his herd of cat
tie killed without getting pay for the
animals.-Bennington Banner.
If this astounding doctrine were
put into effect, at least so per cent OF
! the entire state revenues would be
necessary to pay the costs. 1t cost
the state over $4,000 to pay for con.
demned cattle in 1908, paying only "a
| per cent of their appraised value and
it was adjudged necessary to limit
the appropriation to $4,000 this year
in order to avert deficit. Once let
the owner recover his entire value
with the limit taken off the appropria-
tion and evry autumn would see
such a rush of testing, condemnation
and expense as would appall the most
unthinking.
Why should the state undertake to
insure the dairyman healthy cattle,
any more than healthy horses or good
crops? The Herald believes that the
business solution of the cattle-testing
situation is to furnish the test free,
require all milk, milk products and
meat to bear a tested herds label and
let the law of the cost of production
and the pressure of demand take care
of the expense, just as it does with
sanitary creameries.
1t is proper for the state to stop
the sale of diseased meat and the
mix products of diseased cows, but
"a Of ,,pnn1a
to keep their herds clean does not
appear.
1t is perfectly true, however that
such a doctrine stands but slight
chance of adoption in a dairying state
like Vermont Recognizing the prob
ably inevitable, therefore, the Herald
offers as a comprimise the following
provision from the report of the bur
eau of animal industry, which reads
as follows;
Provision should be made to pay
20 per cent of the appraised value of
the condemned animals not to exceed
$50 per head for common stock or $50
for registered stock, cath annual re-
port: D. 205) Rutland Herald.
Recognizing the fact that a conser-
vative state like Vermont moves but
slowly and often appears to be but
marking time. the Banner doubts
the adoption, for the present at least
of either its suggestion or that OF
the Herald. The constantly increas-
ing price of dairy products, however
leads to the hope that Vermont far
mers will see their opportunity and
that this state is on the eve of a ire
mendous development of its dairyine
resources.
Bearing this in mind and believing
always in building for the future the
Banner would like to see the enforced
test of every domestic animal in the
state and the slaughter of every one
found diseased or open to suspicion
We would divide the state by coun-
ties into about four sections and clean
up one section each year until the
state was covered. AS fast as terri
tory was cleaned up we would enforce
compulsory test of every animal
brought in.
Once the diseased animals We're all
out of the way we would compel all
stock growers to improve their sta
bles in the matter of drainage, light,
ventilation and general cleanliness OF
We would enforce this
semi-annual inspection OF
premises with power to order inn
This would be no more
with private rights than
is the enforcement of quarantine and
sanitary arrangements in cities and
towns. and hardly more than is now
required as to milk peddlers.
We would have the state pay for all
the animals killed and then maintain
the inspection machinery to keep the
herds clean. We would put on the
dairy owner only the Improvement of
his stables which would not be hard
ship as it would be a permanent i'm
and an investment from
which he would profit year by year.
The cost, at first thought would be
something staggering but think what
it would mean we're the plan carried
out. With the facts known
to the consumers of the coun-
try every pound of butter and
every quart of milk and cream
added value that would return to the
state every dollar that it had cost in
side twelve months. In addition to
this advantage well bred calves or
COWS with a state guarantee back of
them would be sought by stock grow
ers of other states.
Dairy farms in Vermont would
double in value and thousands of half
titled acres now producing little or
nothing would be brought to high
state of cultivation. Population and
wealth would increase and another
era in the development of the new
Vermont would be at hand.
nf course other states would follow,