THE MILK SITUATION IN THE DISTRICT OP COLUMBIA. 69 



expense be shared equally by the Government and the owner. The 

 president of the Milk Producers' Association supplying Washing- 

 ton recommends that two-thirds of the expense be borne by the 

 Government and one-third by the owner. 



Generally speaking, the expense of applying the test should, in 

 the judgment of the committee, devolve upon the government (State 

 or municipal). The necessary cost of testing would be slightly re- 

 duced to the State or municipality by the furnishing gratuitously by 

 the Bureau of Animal Industry of tuberculin for the purpose. In 

 accordance with what is known as the "half and half" principle 

 of appropriating for the needs of the District government, the cost 

 should, so far as the testing of cattle supplying milk to the Wash- 

 ington market is concerned, be provided, in the committee's view, 

 one-half from the Federal Treasury and one-half from the revenues 

 of the District of Columbia. 



It should be observed that many farmers, intent upon improving 

 their herds and with a conscientious desire to furnish for consump- 

 tion only milk of a high standard of purity calculated to be free 

 from causation of sickness and mortality, have, up to the present 

 time, voluntarily and anxiously submitted their cattle to the tuber- 

 culin test, notwithstanding the fact that this expense on their part 

 has been practically without appreciable advance in the price re- 

 ceived by them for their output of milk or for the cattle tested. 



The indisposition on the part of certain farmers to submit their 

 herds to the tuberculin test is not a matter of surprise, since it is 

 the history of all reforms that objection, largely the result of preju- 

 dice, is interposed to advances which are later universally recog- 

 nized as advantageous, even by those who are at first strongest in 

 their opposition to them. Aside from the large benefit which must, 

 in the opinion of the committee, inevitably result to the milk- 

 drinkiiig public, there is a decided economic advantage in the long 

 run to the cattle owner who, by the systematic application of the 

 tuberculin test to his herd, greatly reduces and finally exterminates 

 all tuberculous infection from his cattle. The intelligent farmer is 

 beginning to recognize the ultimate advantage of having his herd 

 free from constant decimation through the ravages of tuberculosis. 



COMPENSATION FOR CONDEMNED CATTLE. 



That it is an exceedingly difficult matter to arrive at a satisfactory 

 solution as to the appropriate remuneration to the owner of cattle 

 condemned as the result of reaction under the tuberculin test is evi- 

 denced by the wide divergence of views expressed by authorities 

 consulted by the committee. 



A consideration of much force adduced in opposition to the arbi- 

 trary condemnation and slaughter without compensation of animals 

 shown by the tuberculin test to be infected with tubercle bacilli is 

 that, since the practical confiscation of private property is insisted 

 upon with the avowed purpose of safeguarding and improving the 

 public health, the owner of the condemned cattle should be fully com- 

 pensated from the Public Treasury for losses sustained through such 

 action. In Pennsylvania all animals reacting to the test are paid for 

 by the State, and it is noteworthy that in this Commonwealth tuber- 

 culosis among, cattle is being eradicated with more success than in any 



