ANNUAL MEETING. 315 



tick," it may be taken as positive proof that they have not 

 been wintered here. If our native cattle which have con- 

 tracted the disease of Texans, come in contact with other 

 natives, they will not communicate the disease to them. 

 Therefore it spreads or is contagious only between Texans 

 and our home cattle. The fact which has been disclosed the 

 present year, of the evasion of the laws of the Western States 

 by stock-drovers, in using our recently constructed railroads 

 to the far West, to pass those States unchallenged, should put 

 all our stock-buyers on their guard, and deter them from 

 purchasing such cattle during the summer months. 



The legislature of 1873 made an appropriation of five hun- 

 dred dollars, to be used by the Commission if found necessary 

 in the discharge of the duties of their office. There was no 

 occasion for the expenditure of any part of this appropriation 

 during that year. The present year we have expended one 

 hundred and thirty-two dollars ($132), and there now remains 

 an unexpended balance of three hundred and sixty-eight dol- 

 lars ($368). In accordance with the law, this sum must soon 

 revert to the general treasury, and the Commissioners will be 

 powerless to act should there be an outbreak of contagious 

 disease dangerous to the property and health of our people. 

 We would therefore recommend an appropriation similar in 

 amount to that of 1873, as a safeguard against such an 

 emergency. 



Levi Stockbridge, 

 E. F. Thayer, 

 Commissioners on Contagious Diseases among Cattle. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD. 



The Board met at the office of the Secretary, in Boston, on 

 Tuesday, February 2, at twelve o'clock, His Excellency 

 Governor Gaston in the chair. 



Present : Messrs. Baker, Clark, Cole, Davis, D wight, 

 Goessmanu, Graves, Hadwen, Hyde, Knox, Leavitt, McEl- 

 wain, Moore, Phinney, Sanderson, Sessions, Slade, Stone, 

 Sturtevant, Vincent, Wakefield, L. P. Warner, W. L. Warner 

 and Wilder. 



