No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONEKS. 529 



first week in July, the quarantine was unjust, for the history of 

 the outbreak pointed to an infection of the cattle before they 

 passed through these yards. The only protection the State of 

 Massachusetts has against future recurrence of losses from this 

 disease is the insistence upon federal authorities carrying out the 

 regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture in 

 other States and in Massachusetts, or on the entire exclusion of 

 such cattle from Massachusetts. The traffic for the present year 

 is so inconsiderable that it may well be stopped, in view of the 

 loss to the State that it might produce. 



The laws of Massachusetts bearing on this point are as fol- 

 lows : — 



Sect. 53. When animals are transported within this state from 

 localities beyond its boundary lines, which localities the board of cattle 

 commissioners deem to be infected, such animals may be seized and 

 quarantined by the commissioners at the expense of the owners or con- 

 signees thereof, so long as the public safety may require ; and if, in 

 their judgment, it is necessary to secure that safety, they may cause 

 such animals to be killed without ajspraisal or payment for the same. 



Sect. 54. No Texan, Mexican, Cherokee, Indian or other cattle, 

 which the cattle commissioners decide may spread contagious disease, 

 shall be driven on the streets of any city, town or village, or on any 

 road in this Commonwealth, nor sliall they be driven outside the stock 

 yards connected with any railway in this Commonwealth contrary to 

 any order of the boai'd of cattle commissioners. 



Sect. 55. In all stock yards within this Commonwealth said Texan, 

 Mexican, Cherokee, Indian or other cattle, which the cattle commission- 

 ers decide may spread contagious disease, shall be kept in different pens 

 from those in which other cattle are kept 



Sect. 56. Any person or persons violating any of the provisions of the 

 two preceding sections shall be punished by a fine of not less than 

 twenty nor more than one hundred dollars. 



Sect. 37. Contagious diseases under the provisions of this act shall 

 include glanders, farcy, contagious pleuro-pneumonia, tuberculosis, 

 Texas fever, foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, hog cholera and 

 rabies. 



In the recent outbreak the action of the Cattle Commissioners of 

 Massachusetts and Connecticut in cautioning buyers from bringing 

 their cattle through the West Albany stock yards, or from New 

 York, until the source of disease was located, was all the protec- 

 tion these States had. Though necessarily tardily taken, it prob- 

 ably prevented some loss. The fact that but few cattle passed 

 through the infected yards prevented more loss. The final quar- 

 antine of the suspected pens by the New York authorities did not 

 occur until the 5th of October, for the reason that they did not 



