Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-12
DAIRY COMMISSIONER BARNEY
SAYS TUBERCULOSIS DANGER
IS EXAGGERATED.
DISEASE NOT COMMUNICATED
ONLY ~ EXTREME CONDITIONS
Probable Legislature Will Reorsanize
Dairy Inspection Laws at Coming
Session-county Treasurer curran,
Of ottumwa, Gets into MIDDLE With
Tax Ferrets.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Oct. 12-Dairy Com
missioner w. B. Barney raises an i'm
portant question in regard to the agi-
tation for more stringent laws in regard
to bovine tuberculosis He declares that
the danger from this source has been
greatly exaggerated, that as a matter
of fact it is doubtful if milk from
tuberculous cow is harmful unless the
udder is directly affected, and that be-
cause of this fact great deal of the
work of killing off dairy herds is need
less. The laws can not very we'll be
made effective until they meet the ap-
prevail of owners of cattle. He calls
attention also to the fact that there is
no provision for payment to cattle
owners Of losses in case their dairy
animals are killed 1t is probable that
the laws in regard to these matters
will receive an overhauling by the next
legislature. Before the Iowa people
had ever learned of tuberculosis a
great many dairy animals were sent
into the state from the east because
of the quarantine laws. The danger
from this is not so great now.
The muddle into which j. " Curran,
of Ottumwa, has got because Of his re-
fusal to recognize the provisions Of the
tax ferret law will prove Of interest all
over the state where the tax ferret
system has caused annoyance. Curran
is county treasurer Of Wapello county.
TO 11ncnvarf1Q
property and seeking to compel pay
ment OF withheld taxes. Recently a
long list was submitted to the county
treasurer to have him send out the for
NAL notices, as required by law. telling
the property owners to come in and
either submit to assessment or explain
why they should not be assessed. But
the county treasurer refused to do so.
AS he is a candidate for state treasurer
he presumably did not want to offend
any more Of the voters than necessary
at this time. But the tax ferrets have
gone into court to establish their rights.
and will ask either a mandamus order
to compel the treasurer to obey the law,
or failing in that may resort to the re-
moval law and start custer proceed
ings on the ground that the treasurer
is wilfully refusing to perform his duty.
The tax ferrets point out that if the
county treasurer has the option of de-
Gliding whether he will or will not send
out the notices then the tax ferret law
is ineffective.
1t is reagrded as certain that the
interstate commerce commission, or
majority thereof, will come to Iowa to
hear the case brought by Des Moines
shippers for readtustment OF inter-
state rates from eastern points to in
terror Iowa cities. It is also regarded
as probable this will be done before
the close Of the year. The case has
been prepared, in a legal way by the
attorney general, and should the case
go over until next year it would be
taken up after his term expires. There
is a desire that the case be pushed.
The Des Moines people interested are
rejoicing over the fact that in the
hearing on the application Of CEDAR
Rapids shippers for reduction In In
terstate rates there, the railroad rep
resentatives took steps which indicated
they do not expect to make successful
defense Of the rate schedule for Iowa
when the larger case comes to a heao.
90
Robert Fullerton, head of one of the
most extensive lumber companies In
the state, says that the lumber busi-
ness is good in Iowa and that buying
by farmers Is brisk He states that
buying Of lumber in the cities IS not
so good, for the reason that most OF the
in cities are made on
borrowed money while the farmers
generally make improvements only
when they have the cash.