The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-05-28
S. D. SERUM PLANT
WILL Be ASKED Of
THE LEGISLATURE
Would Be Brought Up
if There's a Special
Session.
TO PROTECT HOGS
Legislator Says Serum Supply
Isn't Big Enough to Break
Epidemic.
TO PROTECT HOGS

Representative John w. Maher of
Union county, in Mitchell on bust
ness today, made an appeal for legis-
lation creating an adequate state
serum plant, in order that the farm
els OF South Dakota might be en-
abled to wage a winning battle
against the epidemic of hog cnulera.
Mr.. Maher is particularly inter
ested in the subject because he is
himself a veterinary surgeon and
thus knows al fir; HAND The need OF
such a plant.
1t vas suggested by Mr.. Mahcr
that, if Gov. Byrne calls a special ses-
session of the legislature to correct
the state law governing the taxation
of corporations, as he has announced
he may do, the states lawmakers
should at that session take the neces-
sary action to give the state a serum
plant big enough to supply the states
( needs.
Just as soon as warm, dry wealth
er starts in, we will have the hog
cholera with us again." said Mr..
~ AA - VIZ III SPi ils u
held it in check, but it will be only a
few weeks until it is going us bad as
it was last year. | have demonstrated
again and again that the double
treatment, with good serum, will pro-
tcct any herd of hogs from the dis
ease. Every pig in the state should
summer, if the disease is to b Lrol.-
en- up.
Simply Couldn't Get it.
But one of the principal obsta-
cles in fighting the disease has been
the difficulty; in getting enough SER
UNI at, the height of the epidemic. II
vas simply impossible to get it
the TROUBLE The serum must be
kept carefully at tho proper tempera-
ture or it will spoil. This is why it
is not practicable to ship for long
distances. There are six serum
plans, all private, at Sioux City. but
they couldn't begin to supply the-de-
,mapd last year and they can't this
it. was. t1tss tst
|G"It surely is a calamity to the
state that the farmers in the average
county should lose a half million dol
lars Or more from hog cholera Just
because 'thebe' is no place to get a re-
iiabln and sufficient supply of serum.
t. Iowa has appropriated $4,000 for
l state serum plant and it will be GO
ing well this year. With the private
plants down there, it should supply
the demand in that state. But OF
course they will have none to spare
fn, ~, ~J1.@- -4~I d..
is at it's worst.
Plant is Too Small.
I'm South Dakota we appropriated
$4,000 for a serum plant vt the state
college. This is not enough to equip
1T to produce the amount needed by
the state. 1t can't begin to supply
the demand. 1t would take at least
$4,000 n 100000 more to make it
big enough to serve the state. am
in favor OF a suh-station at Sioux
Falls, where the. hogs from the pack
ing plant could be used, thus giving
always a large supply of them and
also making it possible to dispose of
the c%arcasses for their grease value.
Besides the difficulty about get
ting a big enough supply of serum the
farmers have been compelled to pay
so high a price that a good many
have been reluctant to incur the ex-
pense and have instead taken the
chance of losing their droves. The
state law fixes the price of state ser
um at two cents per cubic centimeter.
This was a big mistake, for the rea>
son that the commercial serum can
be bought for a cent and a half. This
means that the farmers will buy from
the commercial houses rs long as they
can get it from them and of course
they cannot be certain that they are
getting good serum unless they get
it from the state plant. This ac-
counts for the loss of a good many
droves, in addition to the loss OF the
cost of vaccination.
Would Mean Big Saving.
Il am convinced that the state
could produce the serum at a cost of
one cen per cubic centimeter to the
consumer. This would mean quite a
saving to the average farmer, as the
average cost per hog for serum is
around 60 cents. In a drove. of 200
hogs, the saving on serum alone
would this amount to some 5000
At this rate the cost of equipping a
state plant would soon be paid back,
to say nothing Of the enormous sums
saved by preventing the loss of the
hogs themselves.
"If the special session of the legis-
lature> us not convened, at. least the
regular session should make haste to
establish a state serum plant big
enough to take care Of the interests
of the whole state
---O-
Cougher FOR Three YeaIs
II am a lover of your godsend to
humanity and sc1enc Your medicine