26 BOAKD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



well, perhaps, to, in some way, put a word in the ear of the 

 Governor to induce him to ask the Legislature to look into 

 the cattle diseases law, and see if some legislation is not 

 needed. There are sections in the law that it seems to me 

 are decidedly objectionable. For instance, animals that 

 have been taken notice of by the Board of Cattle Commis- 

 sioners, that have been appraised, have had a stigma placed 

 upon them ; people are afraid to buy meat that has been 

 under the hands of the Cattle Commissioners, because that 

 points to contagious disease. The law specifies plainly that 

 animals may be killed .by authority of the Cattle Commission, 

 under certain restrictions ; they must be inspected and passed 

 upon as being perfectly healthy, and then they may be sold 

 on the market ; but at the same time the law loads down the 

 Commission with the responsibility of notifying whoever 

 buys those dressed carcasses, which have passed inspection as 

 being perfect, making them really safer to use than ordinary 

 meat that has not been inspected, that that is Cattle Com- 

 missioners' meat. That spoils the buying. In my opinion 

 that clause should be wiped out entirely, and there are other 

 clauses which need some modification. 



There is another point. The law is a double-headed law 

 now, and Auditor Ladd objects to it very much in its pres- 

 ent condition, and says it should be modified. The law says 

 that the selectmen of the towns shall do such and such things 

 in case of a contagious disease breaking out ; they shall con- 

 sult a veterinary surgeon or physician, and if he pronounces 

 the disease contagious, they shall kill, and so on. Then, 

 after going along seven sections or more, the law says a 

 Cattle Commission may be created by the Governor, and 

 when so created their regulations shall supersede those of 

 the town or municipal authorities, and there comes a con- 

 flict between two organizations. The selectmen refuse to 

 approve certain bills of the Commissioners, or perhaps refuse 

 to approve certain bills which need the signatures of both. 

 I do not wish to undertake to-night to go over the ground 

 and tell what the law ought to be, but simply to suggest that 

 susfirestion be made to the Governor to call the attention of 

 the Legislature to the law. 



The Chaieman. The more direct way to do it would be 



