The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-10-02
COST OF KILLING DISEASED
CATTLE IN MARYLAND

tubercular cattle is costing con-
siderably more than was estimated
and has reached a point of pre-
senting "a rather serious situation"
according to the opinion of Gov
ernor Richie.
The Governor said he had learned
only recently that the States ap-
preparation for this purpose for the
fiscal year ending. September 80 had
been expended and that, in addition,
100000 has been borrowed against
the appropriation authorized for the
coming fiscal year.
1t also set forth in the statement
that DR.. A. F. Woods, president of
the University of Maryland, has esti-
mated that the entire idemnity ap-
preparation of s375,000 for the
three-year budget period will have
been expended by October 1, 1926,
and that there will be needed from
$15O,O0O to 100000 as the States
portion to carry ON the work to
October l., 1927, when whatever ap-
preparation is made by the Legis-
lature of 1927 will become available.
"The situation thus presented is a
serious one," the Governor stated.
''On the one hand, it is very i'm
portant that this work be not In
terrupted, and on the other hand,
the necessary money is not available,
and the budget law does not permit
departments to exceed their appro-
priations or to incur obligations
beyond them.
"Most certainly there is limit to
the extent to which the university
can be permitted to exceed the very
liberal appropriations which are
already available. Just how the
situation ought to be and can be
met am not prepared to say with
out considering it further. MY OBJ
iect in making this statement now
is simply because the matter has
only recently been brought to my
attention and want to acquaint the
public promptly with the facts"
F The Governor said the Board Of
Public Works and representatives Of
the University of Maryland have
conferred on the subject and that
the latter group intended discussing
the question with the State Dairy
mems Association.
He also said he had been inform
ed the anti-tubercular work had
been conducted principally in Balti-
more county, (which had been
practically cleaned up" in Hartford
county, where cattle still have to
undergo the required tests, and in
six districts of Carroll county. The
difficulty, he asserted, is that the
number of cattle in the States is
considerably greater than the num-
Der estimated and that the same is
true of the percentage of tubercular
animals.
Explaining the cooperative plan by
which the State, the Federal Govern
mentl and individual cattle owners
meet the situation, and relating
some of the aspects of the problem
; leading to the present situation, the
Governor said:
i Under the law the value of the
condemned cattle is appraised and
then divided into three parts. OF
these, the Federal Government pays
one-third, the State another third
and the owner bears a third.
"A few years ago the State began
making appropriations for this pur-
pose. At first these were $4,000
a year. This sum was raised until
in 1924, the 1ast year of the bud
get, the States appropriation for
indemnities was $4,000, and for in.
spection and travelling $4,000
Adding to these the Federal Gov
ernment's appropriations of $4,000
made total available for this pur-
pose in 1924 of $1SS,060.
I'm preparing the present budget
covering the fiscal years 1925 to
1927, I wanted to make such pro-
vision, if possible, as. with the
money received from the Federal
Government, would eradicate tuber-
culosis from all Maryland dairy
herds, within this three-year period.
''The Secretary of the Livestock
Sanitary Section of the State Board
of Agriculture reported that there
were approximately $4,000 dairy
cattle in this State. hasing this
figure, believe, ON the Federal
census, and that from past exper-
fence it was estimated that tuber-
culosis was present In about ten per
cent of these. or 19,400. The
United States Department of Agri-
culture. Bureau of Animal Industry.
reported that the State had been pay
ing an average of SILT per head
for condemned cattle. On this basis
about $4,000 would have been
required as the States share of in