THE MONEY GAIN OF EXTIRPATION 307 



depends, is too heavy, it should be borne in mind that 

 the alternative of compulsory slaughter of all affected 

 animals would involve a vastly greater expenditure or 

 loss. The apparently reasonable prospect of clearing a 

 herd from disease within a few years should be viewed 

 as a probable addition to the assets of agriculturists, the 

 amount of which, if the policy is successful, must, in any 

 case, greatly exceed the cost of the remedy. Taking 

 even the most moderate estimate of the extent of 

 tuberculosis, and assuming that of about 2,700,000 cows, 

 30 per cent., or 900,000, are affected ; of other cattle 

 under two years of age, out of 2,600,000, 10 per cent, or 

 260,000, are affected ; and of 1,600,000 cattle over two 

 years of age, 20 per cent., or 320,000, are affected, 

 making a total of nearly 1,500,000 head of stock out of 

 nearly 7,000,000, it is probable that the pecuniary benefit 

 to agriculturists would not fall short of a million sterling 

 per annum, and might conceivably greatly exceed that 

 sum. If the higher estimates of the prevalence of this 

 disease arrived at by Mr Speir be taken, the results 

 would be much greater. In either case it is plain that 

 the cost of such a remedial policy as is being adopted in 

 Denmark, represents a very small percentage on the 

 enormous addition to agricultural income which extirpa- 

 tion, or reduction to a minimum, of disease would mean. 

 Any immediate sacrifice made by agriculturists would 

 be an investment bringing heavy and increasing returns 

 in a very few years. 



In a memorandum laid before the Commission, Mr 

 Speir puts the cost of the tuberculin at 6d to 7d for each 

 animal, and the veterinary attendance at about 6d each 

 animal, but this does not include the taking of the 

 temperatures during the next twenty-four hours after 

 injection. He suggests, as a fair division of liability, that 

 the State and the county should each pay two-fifths, and 

 the stockowner one-fifth of the cost. Taking the four 

 south-western Scotch counties, the charge would amount 

 to a 3d rate. There are veterinarians enough, and the 

 total cost of the four counties would be about ;^3000 a 

 year, while the extirpation of the disease would, he esti- 



