The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-26
Members Charged With jug
ging" by Veterinarian Of
State in Discussing
Measure.
ANIMAL TUBERCULOSIS
senate Passed Bill, But When It Got
to the House, There K Met It's
Death Quick and
Sure.
[By United Press.1

by United Press
DIES MONIES, April ga charge
of Juggling" was brought against GER
tain members OF the last legislature
Tor killing the animal anti-tuberculo-
sic bill. in statement prepared for
the United Press by J. I. Gibson, state
veterinarian.
ut was the most important meas
ure before the thirty-seventh general
assembly from an. economical stand
point as well as from the standpoint
Of public health" said Gibson. 'fWe
ne wondering how several members
Of the house will explain It away
when they give their constituents an
account of their stewardship.
They jugg1ed' 1t and delayed It I'M
til members of the house, who wished
to see 1t passed, demanded that the
agricultural committee get action on
the bill"
That the enemies of the bill in
creased the appropriation 1t carried
In order to make new votes against
Nit and decreased the value Of the live
stock to be condemned to include
any scrub COW, thus making a
farce" out OF the measure, was the
method used to kill the bill, Gibson
charged.
The senate passed the measure aft
81 it received the favorable report Of
both senate agricultural and senate
appropriations committees, but 1t met
4 its death in the house. The bill was
OF tremendous interest to farmers in
Iowa The tactics used to kill it,
stated Gibson, are disclosed in the
following history Of the house fight
on 1t:
This bill when messaged to the
house Immediately became the sub
Ject Of all the juggling tricks known
to legislation on the part of few
individual members OF the house who
were opposed to the measure
The chairman of the agricultural
committee In the house, to whom this
bill was referred, appointed sub
committee OF three members, all Of
whom were opposed to the bill, and
we have reason to believe the chair
man knew the attitude Of these mem
bers when he appointed them as a
subcommittee. The sub-committee
reported the bill for postponement
and the agricultural committee re-
ported it to the house for indefinite
postponement. Some friends Of the
bill on the committee offered a mi
nority report suggesting certain
amendments, which we believe i'm
proved the measure, and recommend
ed that the bill so amended pass
1t was set for hearing at a certain
hour. The moment that hour arrived
the chairman of the appropriations
committee of the house was recog-
nized and moved that the bill be re-
ferred to the appropriations commit
IL
went the committee report for indefi-
mite postponement and the minority
report amending and recommending
passage. The appropriations commit
tee of the house amended the bill by
reducing the maximum appraisal on
animals condemned by test from 5000
on pure breds to $500, and from $3.50
on grades to $50, which made it clear
to any person having knowledge of
the present values Of cattle that any
scrub COW in ordinary butcher flesh
weighing 1400 pounds would bring
more money on slaughter than the
amendment would permit the ap-
praiser to value the best pure bred
at, and therefore make an absolute
farce OF the appraisal. They also
amended the bill by providing for an
appropriation of $4,000, instead of
$4,000, as originally written in the
BILL and further by striking out the
provision in the original bill for
special tax of 2 cents per head on
cattle and l cent per head on hogs, |
which tax was for the purpose of Gre
hting an animal tuberculosis fund. |
These amendments 80 completely |
mutilated the original senate file 200 |
as to make 1t worthless and IN
workable measure
When the bill finally came up for |
passage as amended by the house |
committee on appropriations, the |
fight against it was led bp the chair
man Of the agricultural committee |
and his originally appointed chair |
man Of the subcommittee, to which |
the bill was referred in the first |
place. Several members who were |
originally in favor of the bill were
able to see that it would be a poor |
law if passed, and therefore voted |
against it"