The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-27

stating that the inspector mad visited
Moorhead, but learned that DR.. Dun
ham had recently inspected the herd.
so did not make an examination of the
animals.
| The North Dakota food commission
er then addressed a letter to Mr.. Egg
CERT asking him what had been done
| with the six cows in question. Mr..
Eggert replied that he had followed
out DR.. Dunham's instructions, doing
away with two Of them and on the adj
| vice Of the Fargo inspector had used
the other four carcasses.
| The bulletin carries a verbatim dep
osition Of the testimony of John Han
son when he appeared before Prof.
Ladd, also one of l.. A. Huntoon, who
appeared with Mr.. Hanson.
In this testimony many of the facts
that have already been brought out.
| were told by Mr. Hanson. while the
cross examination did not reveal any
thing new regarding the situation, with
the exception that some of Hanson s
| testimony did not corroborate the
statements made in some Of the other
letters.
Desiring further information with
regard to the danger that might come
from herd wherein there were COWS
afflicted as were the animals slaugh-
tered, DR.. Ladd sent the following let
ter to DR.. Van Els:
Jan. IA, 1911, DR.. l.. Van Els, coll
lege, Dear Sir-I am enclosing, here
with, copy of the reports of DIR.
Schalk and Inspector Congdon, also.
the joint report of these two inspectors
with regard to their findings for ami
mails slaughtered in Fargo Friday,
Jan. 10.
Il should like your opinion as to
whether or not it is likely that the
herd from which these animals came,
would be safe in supplying milk to
the consuming public; and, unless
these animals were recently tubercu-
line tested, whether or not it would
be likely that other animals in the
herd might be afflicted. Unless such
animals were recently tested, is it
probable that a person might be able
to pick out thirteen cows, each of
which was afflicted with tuberculosis
when slaughtered, as reported in Moor
head and Fargo?
Further, was not the bringing of
these animals to Fargo, and the selling
of the same in violation of the national
meat inspection act? Does it not
conflict with the rules and regula-
tions under the sanitary inspection
board of North Dakota?
Under existing conditions as mani
tested in the findings, would it be safe
to infer that the milk supply for Far
go is being sufficiently supervised?
An early reply will be much APP
preciated. Yours very truly
"(Signed) E. F. Laid,
Food Commissioner"
In reply to this, under date of Jan.
16, DR.. Van Els says:
Jan. 16, 1911, Prof E. F. Ladd, state
food commissioner, agricultural col
I lege, N. D., Dear Sir-In compliance
with your request of last Saturday,
l beg to call attention to the follow
ing features associated with the fact
that six tuberculosis dairy cows were
brought from the Minnesota side to a
Fargo slaughterhouse and that seven
cows of the same herd were found to
be tuberculous only day or so pre-
vious upon inspection by the authori-
ties in Moorhead, Mimi, as reported
by your Inspector
ut is reported that this herd con-
tains something like $50 dairy cows
and was and is supplying milk to the
| city of Fargo The fact that all If
thirteen cows taken from this 1erd
were found to be tuberculous upon
inspection may indicated:
81. That the herd was tuberculine
tested and that the animals referred
to were reaetors and as such were
eliminated by slaughter.
20. That, if the animals were taken
from this herd at random and for otrer
reasons than tuberculosis, their CON-
dition upon autopsy would indicate a
fearful distribution of disease in this
| herd.
"3. If they were cu1led out for tu-
! berculosis without a tuberculine test
| the post mortem examination 'aveals
the fact that the party who culled
them must have supernatural skill 1T
! finding tuberculosis, because hose
| who examined the. animals state that
the LESSONS could not be even suspected
| by any phenomena in the living ami
NAL.
Bearing upon the supposition under
| No. 1, we learn of statements made by
parties interested that the animals
were not tested for over year, and
of other statements made by other
parties that this herd was tested
within the last two months.
"In either case the conditions war
rant the conclusion that milk from
very questionable sources is being sup
| piled to the people of Fargo. If the
animals were not tested for over a
year the health authorities of that city
were grossly negligent for permitting
a herd to remain INFESTED for so long,
and if they were tested recently the
same is the case, as the animals re-
NAMED in the herd supplying the milk
! for public sale, while furthermore, no
report was made on the condition, SO
far as could be ascertained.
IF the supposition under No. 2 be
correct, dairy supervision must have
been wholly inadequate FOR long time.
as it would take longer than a year
to reach such a dissemination of tu-
berculosis as would be indicated by
| the evidence on hand.
THE third supposition may be dis
missed as an impossibility.
! "For so far as local features are con-
cerned, the Incident plainly shows that
in spite of whatever the public is asked
| to believe about the efficiency of it's
dairy inspection, the sanitary inspec-
tion afforded by it is largely Of an
| imaginary nature.
| Another feature which may be of
interest to you is that in bringing those
| cattle across the state line the regula-
tions of the United States department