472 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



satisfactory to them, with the additional option, also suggested 

 by tho commission, that, when it is inexpedient to have the 

 animals tested prior to leaving the State from which they are 

 to be shipped, they will be received at either of the three 

 markets and there placed in quarantine for a period of not less 

 than six days, at the expense of the owner. At the expiration 

 of that time, if the animals are in a normal condition, they 

 will be tested by this commission without expense to the owner, 

 those found free from tuberculosis will be released, and 'those 

 which prove to be tuberculous will be condemned and destroyed 

 without compensation . 



In arriving at the conclusions upon which subsequent action 

 in this matter was based, the Board was governed largely by 

 the following considerations : in the law which was enacted 

 by your honorable body, the commission felt that it was your 

 desire that animals located within the limits of this Common- 

 wealth should not be further submitted to a compulsory 

 tuberculin test ; and the first step taken by the commission, 

 therefore, was to eliminate from quarantine restrictions im- 

 posed at these yards all animals arriving there from points 

 within the limits of the Commonwealth. Inasmuch as the 

 commission felt that it was not authorized to require a com- 

 pulsory examination of all these animals, it did not feel that 

 it was wise or expedient to inaugurate at these markets a 

 system of voluntary tests, because, as had already been shown 

 to the satisfaction of this Board, such tests could not be satis- 

 factorily made unless the animals were first placed under a 

 fairly normal condition. It was further felt that but little 

 good would be derived by the community from the making of 

 isolated tests at these markets upon requests, even though the 

 conditions could be made normal ; because it would not insure 

 that all animals at this market were so tested ; and because 

 the commission felt that, in view of the amount of the appro- 

 priation at its command, the expense in the way of payment 

 of compensation would be too great, for the reason that there 

 would be a tendency on the part of certain persons through- 

 out the State, who had neat stock suspected of being tubercu- 

 lous, to deliver them at these markets for sale, with the 

 request for a tuberculin test, and in this way large sums 

 would be paid in compensation, without any commensurate 



