216 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



of other articles, finally being applied to the inspection of 

 animals kept for the production of milk, which latter came 

 directly under the supervision of the Board of Cattle Com- 

 missioners. 



In 1885 (chapter 378) the act was passed creating the 

 present Board of Cattle Commissioners, and in 1887 (chap- 

 ter 252) was passed the act under which they have sub- 

 stantially ever since exercised their functions. While the 

 Commissioners must largely act through the inspectors of 

 provisions, appointed under chapter 58, and upon informa- 

 tion and facts furnished by them, the two acts have never 

 been made directly applicable to each other. Again, the act 

 of 1887 imposed certain duties u])on and gave certain pow- 

 ers to the local boards of health in these matters, which 

 l)oards hy necessity most largely work through agents. 

 Naturally, these agents would be the inspectors of pro- 

 visions, under chapter 5S, and yet the relations of such 

 agents and such boards of health have never been directly 

 defined by the law. 



In 1892 (chapters 195, 400) and 1893 (chapter 306), it 

 was made compulsory upon cities and towns to a})point in- 

 spectors according to the provisions of chapter 58 of the 

 Public Statutes ; but otherwise the act was not changed, so 

 that cities and towns are bound to appoint inspectors, and 

 yet such inspectors act under a law which is in substance an 

 enabling act only. By this same act, in 1893 the Cattle 

 Commissioners were given direct power over the inspectors 

 of provisions, so that they could remove them where they 

 failed to properly perform their duties, and yet the law is 

 silent as to how far such inspectors are subject to the direc- 

 tions of the Board of Cattle Commissioners. For these and 

 other reasons the Commission feel that all of these matters 

 should be more clearly expressed in the law ; and that such 

 law should be so drawn as to compel the few remaining 

 cities and towns, which have not conformed to the spirit of 

 the present law, to perform the duties now willingly per- 

 formed by the large majority of the cities and towns in the 

 Commonwealth . 



They, therefore, recommend the passage of a law covering 

 the matters already referred to in this report, and bringing 



