THE BBOADEB FIELD OF THE VETEBINABIAN. 
697 
very few are competent to fill the office. I will cite a few cases 
which just come to my recollection to illustrate the incompetency 
of some agents. 
In the town of M- an agent notifies a person that his 
horse looks bad—old and weak—and in order to save trouble he 
better have him killed. The owner called a veterinarian, who 
found the animal thin in flesh very true, but properly cared for, 
and valued the beast at $75.00. 
In the town of A-an agent notifies a party that everybody 
is complaining of his old horse as having the glanders and he 
should have him killed before the society of the long name causes 
him any trouble. A veterinarian is called and no symptoms of 
glanders are found. 
Some time ago a party from Freedom drove into Waterville 
with a very lame horse. An agent takes the team to a livery 
stable and the driver is arrested for cruelty to animals. I was 
out of town, and just before the court opened I was called to ex¬ 
amine the horse. The agent under oath testifies as follows: de¬ 
scribing the horse as being old, poor, hip knocked down, spavined 
and chest-foundered, and of course worthless. My testimony did 
not exactly agree with the agent’s. The horse was twelve years 
old, of a nervous temperament, fair condition, and the lameness 
was caused by a recent interference. Horse valued at $100. The 
defendant was discharged. 
Just one more case One morning an agent is called to ex¬ 
amine a horse which, during the night, had gone through the 
stable floor, on a pile of manure, and after vain efforts to get up 
where there was no chance nor room to stand up, one can easily 
make a picture of the animal. He was condemned and destroyed. 
The owner, during whose absence the incident occurred, sued the 
agent and got a verdict of $75.00. 
I could cite you many other cases of incompetency which have 
been nothing else than an imposition upon the public and a great 
annoyance to individuals. 
Now, I wish to explain to you the manner in which the 
Waterville society conducts its business, and I want to say right 
