Evening star., 1914-11-13
Commissioners Take Steps to
Prevent Foot and Mouth Dis
ease From Spreading Here.
CONFER BROAD POWERS
UPON HEALTH OFFICER
Dairymen Object to Making Public
Ratings Of Pasteurized Milk,
as Ordered.

vent the introduction and spread of
foot and mouth disease in the District
of Columbia.
Prepared under direction Of Health
ohcer Woodward, following confer
ences between representatives Of the
health department and Of the bureau
OF animal industry. the regulations
provide that any animal or thing
which has been exposed to the disease
shall be Isolated. disinfected or de-
stroyed to the satisfaction of the health
department.
Ihey also confer broad powers upon
the health officer to quarantine any
premises upon which there might be
any animal OF thing that would be like
y 10 convey foot and mouth disease.
II fs provided that violation of any
provision of the regulations shall be
punishaole by fine Of not to exceed
the quarantine ordered by the De-
partment of Agriculture against ship
ment into the District from Maryland
OF any hoofed animals. dressed meats,
forced.
The supplementary action of the
commissioners in adopting quarantine
regulations is expected to aid greatly
ing foothold in the District should it
make its appearance here, which is not
considered likely.
os Washinston fh dairymen are up in arms
partment to make public the bac-
THEOLOGICAL ratings of pasteurized milk
sold in the District.
Gives Consumers Information,
The object of making public the
ratings Is to let consumers know
whether or not they are obtaining
milk that has been properly pasteur-
lied, as there is said to be no danger
of contracting foot or mouth disease
from milk that has been put through
proper pasteurizing processes.
Representing the Washington Dairy
mems Association, Attorneys Matthew
e. OBrien and Henry e. Davis entered
protest with Commissioner Siddons
today against the proposed publication
of the ratings.
They ask that milk dealers be given
a hearing on the question before the
probably will be granted.
Attorney OBrien claimed the ratings
do not signify anything and are mis-
leading. He stated that. IL necessary,
sort to Injunction proceedings to pre-
| vent their publication.
Available money for fighting the dis
| ease is getting low and officials of the
Department of Agriculture are con-
fronted with a perplexing situation.
Lack of funds is hampering the depart
ment and when Congress reassemble
| next month a special appropriation
| probably will be asked.
Scarcity of funds has forced the de-
partment to economize in its fight against
the disease, and instructions have gone
out to field agents to save herds wherever
the disease develops in only q few ami
mals. Half Of the expense of slaughter
n q hAr hyyf fhA fndA rn1 ant
No New Cases Reported.
No new cases of the disease were re-
ported to the Department of Agriculture
or to the District health office today. but
federal and District inspectors were hard
at work in their efforts to check the
spread Of the ailment
| The fact that no new areas were re-
ported as affected does not necessarily
| mean that the disease has been met
successfully. it Is explained, as there
may be outbreaks Of cases in any sec
| tion at any time until the inspectors
| have thoroughly disinfected and quar-
antined all plague spots.
1t was discovered yesterday that
three MARYLAND cases could be traced
| to the Union stockyards in Baltimore
Consequently the yards were ordered
closed for disinfection.
DR.. Simon Flexner, formerly of Bal
| timore. and now connected with the
Rockefeller Foundation, is in Chicago
to conduct an investigation, the ulti-
mate purpose Of which is to isolate the
germ of the foot and mouth disease and
| discover serum for its prevention.
Opposes Government Policy.
dispatch from Chicago last night
says:
Protesting against an order by A. D.
Melvin. chief of the bureau of animal
industry. to save as many animals as
possible in herds infected by foot and
mouth disease on the ground of
economy. Arthur G. Leonard, general
manager of the Union stockyards. to-
night telegraphed Frank Hagenbarth,
president of the National Wool Grow
ers Association, now in convention at
Salt Lake City. calling on the men of
the west to arise and protect their
flocks and herds"
Mr.. Leonard asserted the govern
ment's policy endangered the value of
livestock worth three and one-half bill
lion dollars. The message also said:
This Is a complete reversal of the
departments former attitude by which
it had been invariably successful in
stamping out the disease. You will
note that the cause as given is scarcity
of funds This cannot be accepted az
an excuse for a government as rich as
ours to put forth as a reason for per-
mitting a few million dollars worth
of contaminated animals to imperil the
value of livestock worth over three
and one-half billion dollars. You men
of the west must arouse yourselves
and protect your f1ocks and herds"
Delivery of Hay Stopped.
Following the PRONUNCIATION of the
regulations against importing hay
from affected districts for fear of
bringing in foot and mouth disease
germs, the Department of Agriculture
has stopped the railroad companies
from delivering about hundred car
loads of hay consigned to this city un-
til properly disnfected. The depart
ment regulations require 4 formalin
gas dislnfection under the supervision
of an inspector from the department
This does not stop the receipt of hay
from Virginia, where the disease has
not appeared SO far.
Z From Chicago comes the news that
the stocl1yardS there are being disin-
fected rapidly and that several of the
yards on the outskirts of the city have
been given clean bills of health From
fox hunt clubs in that neighborhood
have temporarily suspended hunts for
fear of spreading the disease.
Housewives need have no fear that
their tables will be without Thanks
giving turkey on account of the fed
aral quarantine in various states
against the live stock disease. To allay
any uneasiness on this score the De-
partrnent of Agriculture has issued