The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-23
Bureau of Animal Industry
Arranges to Get All
Those Unclaimed.
DISTRICT RECEIVES
FIFTY CENTS EACH
After SURPRISING the Correspond
enCe the Letters Closing Deal
Are Made Public.

Dogs picked I'D on the streets in
Washington are 70 be sold TO the
Bureau OF Animal Industry for re-
search work" or. in other words, are
70 be turned over 70 that bureau for
the purpose Of practicing vivi-section-
The District government IS 10 be en-
riched 10 the extent OF 50 cents for each
dog put under the knife IN the bureau
This action on che part Of the health
authorities OF the District acting under
Street orders from the District Com
missioners, Tas brought to light today
after officials in the District BUildinE,
who had been connected with the trans
ac.ion. professed ignorance Of the mat
ter or else positively refused 70 dis
close the MANURE Of the deal with The
Bureau Of Animal Industry.
At the Bureau Of Animal Industry
e was declared that no request had
Keen made on the District government
FOR dogs taf.en 20 the p%und-
II the District building Health o.
Icer Woodward and Dr. TindeI de-
cIsned 20 discuss the matter until late
in the afternoon. when pressure became
80 great that Dr. Tindeu admitted that
the District officials had Uttered into
q deal with The Bureau OF Animal IN
dustrv 10 furnish all the dogs needed
for the Iab-atory work IN the bureau
Commissioners Orders
This sction was taken pom orders
from the Commissioners. nOtwith-
standing The fact that the protests
against vivisecrI0n in washington be-
came 80 great two years ago that the
Commissioners were forced by public
opinion 20 discontinue the practice Of
SURFING stray dogs over 70 the bureau
Several letters 5ealinz with the dis
rosirica OF DOGS in the pound have pass
ed between The Commissioners and Dr.
D A. Melvin. Of Isfs-
When N effort was made BIZ The
Times t--av 70 discover what was being
done 7-itj. The DOS taken from the
streets. and also 90 learn TIE nature o.
the correspondence N the subject. the
officials IN ths Bureau Of Animal Indus
trv denied thst the-e had been any cor
responden-e on the subject Thew like
wise denied that ar-arzeueuts had beea
made whereby stray DOES would be
turned ever 70 -he1 for experimental
purposes
Similar secrecy vas maintained by
the District officials until at length.
Comm issioner Johnston. who had pre-
viousIy -iverl an order that ali CORE
s1oudence on the subject be withheld,
permitted Dr. TindoI TO make the cor
respondence public
These letters show colclusIvely that
the District government has made
bargain 10 dispose Of the dogs for 50
cents each
The dogs TO be turned over 70 the ex-
perfnentors are not those afflicted vita
rabies or suspected OF suffering from
that disease Such dogs have been
turned over IN tire past without any sPe-
order concerns perfectly healthy dogs
ricI,ed ND on -he streets
The desire OF the D strict officials and
officials Of the Bureau Of Animal In
dus-ry makes Il difficult TO determine
whether all Of the correspondence has
been made public
On the fact u -he coTrespOndence as
Il was given out today Il would appear
that overtures were first made TO the
bureau BY the District officials
Among the letters which passed be
tween the bureau and the District Off
Gals. are the following
Under date OF july Is Prof A D. Mel
win. Chief Of The Bureau Of Animal n
dUstry. wrote the Commissioners as fol-
7 beg to acknowledge the recent
Of your letter Of the sixth instant
informing me that the Commission
ers have passed an order TO sell tbs
bureau dogs at not less than - cents
each for use ia research work
The Commissioners IetNr. dated JULY
d was addressed 10 Prof. N G. Melvin
Bureau Of Animal Industry