450 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Dear Sir : — I am in receipt, from the Attorney-General, of a 

 copy of his communication of June 4 to you regarding the act to 

 prevent the spread of tuberculosis, etc. 



The new Board of Cattle Commissioners was organized May 12, 

 and a copy of the enclosed circular was sent, upon May 23, to the 

 proper authority in each city and town in the Commonwealth, of 

 which there are some, three hundred and fifty-one ; and up to this 

 time no more than ninety-seven have responded. I take it that 

 this means that a great many towns have failed to appoint inspectors 

 under the act. If this is true, and I know that it is in several 

 instances, the usefulness of the Cattle Commissioners, particularly 

 in getting at the actual condition of these matters in the State, will 

 be very much lessened during the coming year. With this act in 

 full force I believe that the commission will be able to organize 

 the work during the coming year in a way that will be entirely 

 sufficient in protecting the consumers of meat and milk, will please 

 and help those of our farmers who produce milk and healthy beef 

 for market ; and will be so far satisfactory to the authorities in 

 certain of our neighboring Slates that they must withdraw the 

 embargo, and the probable false impression, which they now main- 

 tain against our cattle. 



I suppose that the difficulty of obtaining legislation at this late 

 day is great; but this is a public health measure, and, under the 

 circumstances at present existing, an important one now. 



The Legislature evidently intended by their act to compel the 

 cities and towns to appoint inspectors immediately ; that they have 

 not done so is evidently due to the exceedingly short notice ; the 

 law not going into force until the 22d of April of this year left them 

 only eight days in which to act. 



Following this on the sixteenth day of June the Legis- 

 lature passed a measure which allowed a further time for 

 appointment. Notice of this was given to the several towns. 

 At this time the following circular letter of instruction to 

 inspectors was issued from this office, and from time to time, 

 as the addresses were received, a copy of it was sent to each 

 one of the inspectors : — 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



BoAim OF Cattle Commissioners, 

 Secretary's Gifice, 50 Village Street, Boston, July, 1892. 



The Board of Cattle Commissioners having been requested by 

 several of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth to delinc the 

 duties of the inspectors of " animals intended for slaughter or kept 



