Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-18

~0 ossVuiu DC Heio oy man VINO was
a graduate. and man who had a train
ing OF technical education
1t ts both a pleasure and a privilege
TO support this bill
The present bin seeks simple justice,
the good of the people, the saving of
their money combined with efficiency
OF service with the ability to conserve
the appropriations, entrusted to that
department and to see that each and
every dollar produces one hundred
cents worth of good.
1t seems strange that any one should
ever propose any other person for a
Livestock Sanitary Commissioner but
a veterinarian. Certainly nobody
would claim that any gentleman. of
any other profession, trade or vocation
could or would be, as likely to know
the health or disease Of animals as a
man who. by his education, his tech
meal training, his real nfework for a
greater OF less number of years had
been treating animals studying their
diseases, prescribing for them and
using all the newest and safest meth
DDS OF preventative medicine
If you wished to have the hair
spring on your watch frightened would
you take It to the blacksmith shop?
Would you hunt up a farmer If you
wanted your silver engraved? Or
would you seek expert advice in re-
gard to the health or disease of your
family of the village cobbler?
There is just as much reason why
you would expect man with no train
ing, knowledge, or wisdom in regard
to disease, to take up this work in an
untried field and carry it on scientifi-
cally.
This government, this State, and
each and every inhabitant of each owe
great deal Of their splendid prosper
ity to the Veterinary profession.
One OF the largest. best, and most
valuable group of scientists in the
known world today are the U. S. B. A.
7. composed Of three thousand men.
one-third of whom are educated.
trained, skilled, competent veterinar-
ians.
They stand as bulwark between
the packing interests and the pubic
health which, by their skill, honesty,
and ability. we are enabled to par
S~AS - PoiS lACdlS, WnOle-
some and entirely fit for human con-
sumption.
This Bureau is one of the Bureaus
IN the Department OF Agriculture or
ganized in 1894 as a means of eradi-
eating Contagious Pleura -pneumonia
from the land, and they did it, and
they have been stamping out and
keeping out disease ever since.
The veterinarians in this Bureau
over one thousand, are the guarantee
OF the fitness of our food exports and
the only one which would be accepted
with foreign nations.
So true is this that with the veter-
mary certificates of inspected and
passed, our exports have reached ir
1909 the enormous amount of one half
million cattle and more than four mil
lions OF pounds of beef
Each and every piece Of this meat
and each and every one of those cat
tie must have been carefully and
thoroughly inspected and passed by
a veterinarian before they would be
allowed to even go upon a boat to
start to a foreign country
This country meets annually with
losses enough owing to lack OF the
proper veterinary supervision OF its
animal population, to make a very
material difference in the high cos,
Of living.
We lose six and one-half million
swine-twc million cattle-two and
one half million sheep-one half mil
lion horses and mules-a large part Of
which loss could be saved with the
aid of the preventative medicine
| known and practised only by the mod
ern up-to date Veterinarian.
There are so very, very many rea-
sons why Names Livestock Sanitary
Commissioner should be a Veterinar-
ian that j hardly know where to be-
| gin to enurnerate them.
Let me call your attention to the
| fact already known to you all, tina,
Maine had one hundred thousand hors-
| es worth i'll round numbers sixteer
| million dollars.
One hundred and flfty-nine thousand
cattle, worth seven and a half mil
| lion dollars
| Ninety-seven thousand swine, worth
| one and a half million.
| Do you think it is good policy to en-
| trust the entire and absolute contro
! of all this vast wealth in such proper
| ty as this, which, by a false move by
man no matter how upright and
| honest may be mistaken. and grea,
| and irrepairable loss result to the
farmers of Maine?
If it is necessary for me to cite you
precedents for this act 1 shall be very
glad to do so. for there are now forty
states which have trained and quail
| fled veterinarians at the head Of Their
| livestock departments.
And a very suggestive commentary
on this is the fact that Michigan
where the recent outbreak Of Foot and
Mouth disease broke out. and Massa-
chustts where it was aided. fostered
| and prolonged. both have laymen OF
did have laymen at the head OF thei,
| Bureaus Of Animal Industry.
In the winter of 1902 and 1903 an out.
break OF Foot and Mouth disease oc.
CURED in five New England states
which was handled by trained veter.
| inarians, about four thousand cattle
were affected. and the dread disease
| was kept within the five original
states and completely eradicated il
| five months.
Compare that if you please with
the recent one where nearly every stock
ri &t,n