THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Ja>uaey 8, 1910. 



after compulsory slaughter, the employment of a veteri- 

 nar}^ surgeon, precautions to prevent the spread of 

 disease, method of raising funds, and the investment of 

 reserve funds. 



In the case of registered societies, the liability of 

 each member, in respect of amounts to be paid by it, is 

 usually unlimited. In this instance, insurances are only 

 taken out for comparatively small amounts, and large 

 risks, such as valuable pedigree stock, are not accepted. 

 In any case, it is desirable that the maximum amounts 

 to be paid should be specified in the rules. 



It seems best that the area covered by each society 

 should be comparatively small, especially in thickly 

 populated districts. In this way, the chance that all 

 the members will be acquainted with one another is 

 increased, and a useful check to fraud is supplied. 

 Other considerations ate that the duties of inspection, 

 valuing and marking will not be so large as to be 

 onerous, and that the .responsible work, especially in 

 connexion with administration, may be done by those 

 who are willing to accept an honorary position. An 

 objection to the confining of the work of any om 

 society to a small area is that, in the event of a large 

 mortality among the stock of its members, owing to an 

 epidemic, it may not be possible to afford help when it 

 is most needed. This contingency may be avoided by 

 reducing the amount of compensation payable to 

 a proportion consistent with the state of the funds, by 

 a levy on the members, or by reinsurance. In relation 

 to the West Indies, it is safe to say that serious 

 epidemics among stock are comparatively rare, so that 

 the circumstances just detailed are not likely to occur. 



In the matter of compensation, as regards such 

 animals as cows, the amount of this is often paid at 

 the rate of three quarters of the full value, though 

 a limit of £10 is sometimes made. Pigs are often 

 paid for at the full value. The valuation of animals 

 on which compensation may have to be paid is 

 made either on the reception of a report of 

 illness, or on registration under the society's rules. 

 The latter would appear to be the better pro- 

 cedure, especially as the former method entails the 

 risk of infection being carried by the members 

 of the valuing committee, and the valuation of an 

 animal on registration helps to prevent the exercise of 

 certain forms of fraud. In many cases, where the 

 animal is valued after it has fallen ill, it becomes the 

 property of the society directly its value has been 

 appraised, and its condition seen by the committee. 



In the case of compulsory slaughter, where 

 a certain sum is paid to the owner of the animal by 

 the authority responsible for the order for its destruc- 



tion, the society 'Would only be liable for the difference 

 if any, between the amount thus paid and that for 

 which insurance was made. The existence of such an 

 arrangement is specially beneficial, as it enables the 

 society to insist upon the speedy notification of disease 

 to the authority, where this is required, and the rules 

 should be drawn, up m such a way as to enable compen- 

 sation to be refused, in the event of the lack of such 

 notification. 



The employment of a veterinary surgeon, in case 

 of illness, is usually in the hands of each member of 

 the society, and there is no limitation of his choice in 

 the matter. It is the rule of some societies, however, 

 to pay the fees of the surgeon, subject to permission 

 for his employment being obtained from the committee 

 of the society. It would probably be a convenient plan 

 to arrange for treatment of the animals belonging to 

 the members, in return for a fixed fee in each case. The 

 precautions to be taken against infection have already 

 been dealt with incidentally. 



For raising funds, there is commonly an entrance 

 fee, and a fixed annual subscription for each animal. 

 The objection to this .system is that the premiums paid 

 are not proportionate to the value insured. A remedy 

 may be found by valuing the animal on registration, 

 and exacting a pren.ium proportionate to its worth, 

 and bj' annual revaluation. If this led to the accumu- 

 lation of a large reserve fund, the scale of premiums 

 could be rearranged so as to make them smaller. In 

 the matter of reserve funds, the rules of the society 

 should make it compulsory that monej' not immediately 

 required, or that for meeting the ordinary, additive 

 liabilities, shall be lodged to its credit in a savings, 

 or other, bank. 



In the West Indies, at first, any movements in 

 this direction would be small in extent, and care would 

 be required in order to ensure that the management 

 was in the hands of reputable persons. It would seem 

 most expedient that those who would be responsible 

 for the custody and administration of funds should 

 hold honorary positions in the society; the work could 

 suitably be done by a clergyman or minister in the 

 district. It would possibly be best, under the special 

 conditions, for all animals that are reported to be in ill 

 health to become the property of the society, for 

 treatment and disposal as it may think fit; this would 

 tend to ensure the absence of intentional neglect, and 

 would protect the society against its results. In any 

 case, the careful adoption of the system on a small scale 

 would probably lead to its subsequent enlargement, 

 with suitable modifications, and would help to ensure 

 prosperity in the area of its operation. 



