40 CATTLE DISEASES 



At the same meeting they put forward the following state- 

 ment : 



" In the financial year ending 1895-96 the Local Government 

 Board were required to make good a deficiency in the Cattle 

 Pleuro- Pneumonia Account, and, accordingly, under certificates 

 made by the Board of Agriculture, a total sum of 145,200 was 

 paid out of the Local Taxation Account, and thus, indirectly, 

 out of the rates. As the Committee have always strenuously 

 insisted that the expenses incurred in stamping out disease 

 among stock should be defrayed from the Imperial Exchequer 

 a principle which was distinctly recognised by Parliament in 

 the Pleuro -Pneumonia and Swine Fever Acts they are bound 

 to protest against the continuance of this draft upon ratepayers' 

 money. The provision that any deficiency in the amount pro- 

 vided by Parliament should be made good out of the Local 

 Taxation Account was obviously intended to meet an emergency, 

 and was not intended to authorise a yearly call upon the Local 

 Taxation Account exceeding the amount paid out of the 

 Exchequer. In the opinion of the Committee, application should 

 be made to Parliament for a further vote of money." 



1897. 



In March and again in June the Council passed the follow- 

 ing resolution : 



" That in the opinion of this Council, the administration of 

 the Swine Fever Act should be undertaken entirely by the Board 

 of Agriculture, and county boundaries ignored, and that com- 

 pensation for swine slaughtered should be paid from Imperial 

 Funds and not out of drafts on the Local Taxation Account " ; 



and they sent a small deputation to discuss these points with 

 the Board of Agriculture on 1st July. 



In November they urged the Board to deal with Sheep 

 Scab by uniform and compulsory regulations instead of leaving 

 the matter to the independent action of local authorities. 



At the meeting on 2nd March a letter was read from Mr. 

 Chaplin (President of the Local Government Board), express- 

 ing regret and giving reasons for not being able to reopen 

 the Commission on Tuberculosis in order to add new members 

 to it. 



1898. 



The Report of the Ro} r al Commission on Tuberculosis was 

 issued at the end of April and was considered by the Council 



