﻿Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture. 
  871 
  

  

  A 
  board 
  of 
  cattle 
  commissioners 
  was 
  created 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  June, 
  

   1899, 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  power 
  to 
  make 
  regulations 
  concerning 
  the 
  

   extirpation, 
  prevention 
  and 
  suppression 
  of 
  contagious 
  diseases 
  

   among 
  domestic 
  animals, 
  or 
  concerning 
  the 
  care 
  and 
  treatment 
  or 
  

   destruction 
  of 
  animals 
  affected 
  with, 
  or 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  exposed 
  

   to 
  any 
  contagious 
  disease. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  case 
  of 
  contagious 
  disease 
  is 
  discovered 
  and 
  the 
  board 
  

   is 
  convinced 
  that 
  the 
  public 
  good 
  requires 
  it, 
  they 
  shall 
  cause 
  its 
  

   isolation, 
  or 
  the 
  animal 
  shall 
  be 
  at 
  once 
  killed, 
  without 
  appraisal 
  

   or 
  payment; 
  if 
  it 
  shall 
  subsequently 
  appear, 
  upon 
  post-mortem 
  

   examination, 
  that 
  such 
  animal 
  was 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  disease 
  for 
  

   which 
  it 
  was 
  condemned, 
  a 
  reasonable 
  sum 
  shall 
  be 
  paid 
  the 
  

   owner 
  not 
  exceeding 
  fifty 
  dollars, 
  and 
  not 
  then 
  if, 
  by 
  wilful 
  act 
  

   or 
  neglect, 
  he 
  contributed 
  to 
  the 
  spread 
  of 
  tuberculosis. 
  

  

  Said 
  board 
  makes 
  rules 
  to 
  conform 
  to 
  the 
  regulations 
  of 
  the 
  

   United 
  States 
  bureau 
  of 
  animal 
  industry 
  for 
  the 
  inspection 
  of 
  

   meat 
  for 
  export 
  and 
  interstate 
  commerce. 
  

  

  When 
  animals 
  are 
  transported 
  within 
  this 
  State 
  from 
  places 
  

   beyond 
  its 
  lines, 
  which 
  places 
  the 
  commissioners 
  deem 
  to 
  be 
  in- 
  

   fected, 
  such 
  animals 
  may 
  be 
  seized 
  and 
  quarantined 
  at 
  the 
  ex- 
  

   pense 
  of 
  the 
  owner, 
  and 
  if 
  they 
  deem 
  it 
  necessary 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  

   spread 
  of 
  contagion, 
  they 
  may 
  cause 
  such 
  animals 
  to 
  be 
  killed 
  with- 
  

   out 
  appraisal 
  or 
  payment. 
  

  

  Provision 
  is 
  made 
  for 
  the 
  appointment 
  of 
  inspectors 
  by 
  the 
  com- 
  

   missioners, 
  who 
  shall 
  make 
  regular 
  inspection 
  of 
  their 
  towns 
  or 
  

   cities, 
  grant 
  certificates 
  of 
  health, 
  and 
  serve 
  notice, 
  of 
  diseases 
  

   found, 
  on 
  the 
  owTiers, 
  examine 
  barns 
  and 
  stables 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  

   cleanliness, 
  light, 
  ventilation 
  and 
  water 
  supply, 
  place 
  diseased 
  

   animals 
  in 
  quarantine 
  and 
  make 
  full 
  reports 
  to 
  the 
  commissioners. 
  

  

  The 
  use 
  of 
  tuberculin 
  as 
  a 
  diagnostic 
  agent 
  for 
  the 
  detection 
  

   of 
  tuberculosis 
  shall 
  be 
  restricted 
  to 
  cattle 
  brought 
  into 
  the 
  State, 
  

   and 
  to 
  all 
  cattle 
  at 
  Brighton, 
  Watertown 
  and 
  Somerville, 
  pro- 
  

   vided, 
  however, 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  used, 
  by 
  the 
  consent 
  of 
  the 
  owner 
  

   in 
  writing, 
  or 
  upon 
  animals 
  condemned 
  to 
  slaughter. 
  (Laws 
  

   1899, 
  chap. 
  408.) 
  

  

  