No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 407 



after, for at least ten hours, or until reaction is complete ; and a duplicate 

 thereof shall be given to the owner of said cattle, and the original certili- 

 cate shall be sent by the said commissioner to the secretary of the state 

 board of agriculture. If after such test it shall be proved that such sus- 

 pected cattle are afflicted with tuberculosis, such diseased cattle shall be 

 immediately slaughtered, ny^on written order of said commissioner, and 

 the state shall not be required to compensate the owner for their loss, 

 and the owner shall pay for testing such cattle with tuberculin ; but if 

 such cattle shall be found free from tuberculosis they shall be released 

 for the use and benefit of the owner. If any of such cattle are slaughtered, 

 and upon post-mortem examination it shall be found that the slaughtered 

 animal was not afflicted with tuljerculosis, then the animal so killed shall 

 be paid for by the state at the full appraised value, in accordance with 

 the provisions of section eleven of chapter ninety-nine of the general laws. 



Section 4. Any person violating any of the provisions of this act 

 shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall l)e fined not more 

 than one hundred dollars. 



Section 5. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. 



It can be readily seen that this law is intended to counteract 

 that of 189G, and was passed in the face of the opposition of the 

 Rhode Island Cattle Commission and all intelligent argument tliat 

 could be brought to bear against it. This is another example of 

 obstacles to the tuberculin test on the part of the cattle men. 



On the other baud, Penusylvania and New Jersey have very 

 good statutes for the protection of their live stock interests, pro- 

 viding that all persons and corporations must have permits to 

 bring cattle within their limits, and that cattle for dairy and 

 breeding purposes must be tested with tuberculin before ship- 

 ment, by reliable veterinarians, or else be held in quarantine and 

 tested after arrival at their destination. 



Probably legislation such as has been enacted in Pennsylvania 

 and New Jersey is more efficacious for the protection of the live 

 stock interests of a State than the power to make rules and regu- 

 lations given to cattle commissions or live stock sanitary boards ; 

 because, first, there is more respect for statute law than for the 

 rules and regulations of a commission ; and, secondly, the courts 

 will take more interest in fenforciug the law than they will in im- 

 posing penalties for breaking rules and regulations formulated by 

 a commission. 



The Massachusetts Cattle Commission has been impeded and 

 imposed upon in every possible way that many of the drovers 

 could devise. Most of the dealers undoubtedly thought, when 

 these regulations were first adoi)ted, five years ago, that tubercu- 

 losis was a fad and a temporary matter, tiiat it was of little 

 importauce and that tuberculin did not amount to anything. A 



