35 



for services is paid, it is suggesteil tliat a deposit be made at the 

 time of signing- tiiis contract sut!'icient to cover the estimated cost 

 of the contract. In ail cases wiiere sucii deposit is made, a ciieck 

 to cover the balance over the amount of the bill actually rendered 

 will accompany the report. 



It is hoped that this new plan will not work hardship on the poultrymen 

 and that it will be the means, in time, of actually reducing the cost of 

 testing, because it will do away with losses resulting from non-payment 

 of bills. Every effort will be made by the laboratory to get the reports 

 to the owner as soon as the checks have been received, thus preventing 

 the possibility of reactors being left in the flock because of delay in re- 

 ceiving the report. A satisfactory method for handling telephone reports 

 will be worked out before the next testing season starts. 



This pre-payment plan necessitates one other change in the forms used. 

 This is in 3 (e) of the "Information Sheet" (page 16" of Control Bulletin 

 No. 43), which will be changed to conform with the new system of payment 

 for services. 



Cooperation of Poultrymen 



The cooperation of most of the poultrymen in the past season has 

 been largely responsible for the progress made in the elimination of 

 pullorum disease. 



The immediate return of application and verification cards, 100 per 

 cent testing of the birds on the farm at each test, prompt removal of re- 

 actors, and the early testing of birds to be retested within the season, 

 have been the channels through which progress has been made, both by 

 increasing the number of birds tested and decreasing the percentage of 

 infection. 



However, a few poultrymen who did not cooperate caused much in- 

 convenience and unnecessary expense. This refers especially to those 

 who waited until the blood collector reached the farm before they decided 

 to give notification of cancellation. Many times it has cost the depart- 

 ment from five to ten dollars in telephone calls and express charges for 

 return of equipment, because of thoughtlessness on the part of the poul- 

 tryman. With very few exceptions, poultrymen were given ample notice 

 of the time when the blood collector was expected to arrive, and there was 

 little necessity of delay in notifying the department of change in plans. 



One example which occurred last year will serve as an illustration. A 

 poultryman made plans for testing 3,700 birds. A verification card was 

 sent to him and it was returned stating the number was correct. Flans 

 were made for the blood collector to bleed that many birds. On arrival 

 he found that the poultryman did have 3,700 birds, but only 2,900 were 

 to be bled at that time. This necessitated the blood collector calling the 

 laboratory to have arrangements made for more work. The laboratory in 

 turn had to call five different poultrymen, besides putting in another call 

 for the blood collector, before arrangements could be made for him to 

 complete his week's work. The pails had to be reshipped from the farm 

 to which they were originally sent, to another farm, and, in addition, a 

 letter confirming the telephone call had to be written to the blood collector 

 and sent special delivery to insure its arriving in time for him to make 

 preparation for his new schedule. The total cost to the department, not 

 including the time of the persons involved, was $5.75. In other words, if 



