No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 447 



Recosimexdatioxs . 



The Board have thus endeavored to give, thoroughly and 

 impartially, the history of legislation in the matter of com- 

 pensation for diseased animals in this State ; they have also 

 collected and presented many of the arguments, both for and 

 against such payment, which have been advanced ; and they 

 have presented herewith portions of the laws of many of the 

 other States bearing upon the matter. 



In conclusion, the Board desire to state, as a result of their 

 study of the matter, that they are impressed with the practical 

 weight of many of the arguments that are advanced in favor 

 of paying a full value, on a limited basis, for all animals 

 destroyed for the public good. In arriving at this conclusion 

 they have been very largely governed by the fact that, by 

 using tuberculin as a means of diagnosis, they are now con- 

 demning and finding diseased animals that, to all external 

 appearances, are perfectly healthy and sound, and that have 

 a full earning capacity for their owners. 



Without desiring to discuss further the policy involved in 

 the adoption of such measures, they feel that if your honorable 

 bodj' can constitutionally and safely enact a law authorizing 

 a payment for animals condemned as tuberculous, which will 

 fairly enable their owners to replace them with healthy stock, 

 it will practically result in a benefit to the community at large, 

 which will be commensurate, at least, with its cost. As a 

 result of their experience in this work during the last two and 

 one-half years, the Board are thoroughly satisfied that tuber- 

 culosis is widely scattered among the neat stock throughout 

 the Commonwealth ; and that it will be impossible to stamp it 

 out, unless some vigorous policy is adopted, which shall also 

 provide for a thorough and systematic examination upon a 

 scientific basis of every head of neat stock within its limits. 



The efiicient performance of this work will necessarily involve 

 the expenditure of a considcral>le sum of money ; but the 

 benefit which will be derived therefrom will, in the opinion of 

 the Board, be greater ; and they feel that the State can well 

 afford, in accomplishing this end, not only to pay the adminis- 

 trative expenses, but, if it is necessary in order to stamp out 

 this disease, to also pay whatever may be required to fairly 



