169 
PNEUMONIA AMONG CATTLE. 
the news came from York and Delaware counties that one herd 
in each was affected, the sending of the letter that the disease was 
stamped out, was merely delayed, it was supposed, for a few 
days. 
But just at this crisis came the thunderclap from Harrisburg 
in the form of an announcement from the Auditor General’s 
Office that the State would pay for no more diseased cattle. This 
entirely altered the aspect of affairs, and rendered the new infec¬ 
tion a most ominous and dangerous event. 
That this was the case a moment’s reflection w'ill show. The 
farmers not receiving pay for their cattle, the diseased animals 
will not be killed, but disposed of in some way to the best advan¬ 
tage of the proprietor, and the disadvantage of his neighbors; 
and being smuggled in among other cattle, to be sold to the but¬ 
chers, would infallibly spread the contagion. A remonstrance 
addressed to the State authorities did no good. 
The act provided that “ all the necessary expenses incurred 
under the direction or by authority of the Governor,” in carrying 
out its provisions should be paid by the Treasurer. Nearly $5,000 
against $350,000 paid by the English government, had been dis¬ 
bursed from the State Treasury for cattle killed, when it was dis¬ 
covered not to be one of the “necessary expenses,” and an answer 
to that effect was returned to the inspectors. 
Thus suddenly hampered in their work, they have fallen back 
upon the act, of which the cattle owners will do well to take 
notice, of April 12, 1866, which has never been repealed, and 
which has a very severe penal clause, which imposes $500 fine or 
six months in jail. 
“ That act,” said Inspector Gadsden, “ will be rigidly enforced, 
and every man detected in violating its provisions will be prose¬ 
cuted to the fullest extent of the law.” But he admitted that he 
did not believe it would prove effectual in checking the spread of 
the contagion thus again intodueed into the State. It may be 
mentioned that in both cases the diseased cattle came from Mary¬ 
land, where the authorities have persistently refused to pay the 
farmers for such animals as had to be sacrificed to the general 
good. 
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