No. 4.] DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 255 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND 

 SANITATION. 



[Read and accepted at the Annual Meeting, Jan. 13, 1903.] 



Your committee has held but one meeting during the 

 year, no matters having been referred to it by the Board. 

 The work in relation to domestic animals and sanitation 

 was formerly in the charge of the Board of Cattle Commis- 

 sioners, and naturally but little of it came to this Board or 

 your committee. The enactment of the last Legislature, 

 creating the Cattle Bureau of the Board, would naturally 

 appear to consolidate and solidify the agricultural interests 

 of the Commonwealth ; but if it has had such a result, it 

 has not come to the notice of your committee. The cre- 

 ation of a Bureau of a Board over which that Board has no 

 control could but have been the conception of a master 

 mind, so unique is it in the history of legislation. Your 

 committee does not seek for greater power or responsibility 

 for itself, but in justice to the Board this condition should 

 be remedied. If a single-headed Cattle Commission is the 

 proper system for Massachusetts, it should exist in name as 

 well as fact. If, on the other hand, as we believe, this 

 work should be centred under the Board of Agriculture, 

 then the Board should be given authority to control and 

 direct the work. Under the present condition, the Board is 

 criticised for what it could not prevent, even if it desired 

 to do so. This is manifestly unfair, whether the criticisms 

 are just or otherwise, and tends to weaken the Board in its 

 work. We would call the attention of the special committee 

 on the revision of the laws relatincr to aoriculture and the 

 agricultural societies to this legislation, and to the position 

 of your committee in regard to it. 



