422 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



licenses of slaughter houses all over the State, and received 

 a duplicate of each license given in every city and town. 

 This made a great deal of extra work for the commission, 

 and was really a local health matter, and had little to do 

 with suppressing contagious diseases among animals. Sec- 

 tion 20 of the new law provides that this work shall in the 

 future be in the hands of the local boards of health. 



Under the act of 1899 the Board of Cattle Commissioners 

 knows only an inspector of animals appointed as provided 

 for in section 17 : — 



The mayor aud aldermen of cities, except as provided iu chap- 

 ter two hundred and fifty of the acts of the year eighteen hundred 

 and ninety-six, and the selectmen of towns shall, within thirty 

 days after the passage of this act, and thereafter annually in the 

 month of March, appoint one or more persons to be inspectors of 

 animals, subject to the approval of the boai'd of cattle commis- 

 sioners. Each inspector shall be sworn faithfully to discharge the 

 duties of his office, and shall receive a reasonable compensation, to 

 be paid by the city or town for which he is appointed. Such city 

 and town officers shall have the power to remove any inspector 

 appointed by them, and in such case shall immediately appoint 

 another in his place. Every city and town shall, within thirty 

 days after the passage of this act, and thereafter before the first 

 day of April in each year, send to the board of cattle commis- 

 sioners a list of the qualified inspectors of animals appointed 

 under this section for such city or town, which notice shall give 

 the name and address of each such inspector and his occupation. 



June 12 the Board sent the following letter to the mayors 

 of cities and selectmen of towns : — 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Board of Cattle Commissioners, 



Boston, June 12, 1899. 



Dear Sirs : — Herewith find a copy of chapter 408 of the Acts 

 of 1899. This act recodifies the laws relating to the contagious 

 diseases of animals. 



You will see by section 17 that there shall be appointed, within 

 thirty days after the passage of this act, aud thereafter annually 

 in the month of March, an inspector or inspectors of animals. Will 

 you, therefore, immediately appoint an inspector of animals, or 

 more than one, if you think it necessary. In most cities and 

 towns it seems to us one inspector of animals is sufficient. 



