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"(3.) Provided that if the owner of the horse, ass, or mule, gives
notice in writing to the Local Authority, or their Inspector or
other officer, that he objects to the horse, ass, or mule being
slaughtered, it shall not be lawful for the Local Authority to cause
that horse, ass, or mule to be slaughtered, except with the further
special authority of the Board of Agriculture first obtained."
Compensation may be withheld if the Local Authority should be of
opinion that the animal was diseased when brought into their district
(Art. 21). The carcases of diseased animals are to be buried whole,
covered with lime, and with not less than six feet of earth ; or the
Local Authority may, by license of the Board of Agriculture, cause
the carcase to be removed, after disinfection, to a knacket's-yard,
there to be destroyed, under the inspection of the Local Authority,
by exposure to a high temperature, or by chemical agents (Article 23).
Offences against the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1878 are
defined in article 29, the penalty for each offence being twenty
pounds. It is a defect in the Order that no provision is made for
the notification of glandered or farcied horses by Veterinary Surgeons,
but probably legislation would be necessary to secure this additional
safeguard against concealment of diseased or suspected animals.
It was hoped, as a result of the issue of the Order, that the
temptation to concealment of diseased animals would no longer
operate ; but, unfortunately, the London County Council, dissatisfied,
in that the Board of Agriculture had not seen their way to meet the
Council's wishes on certain points which they desired to have
included in the Order, and believing that a "permissive Order"
would be ineffectual as a means of stamping out the diseases, resolved
not to enforce the new provisions as to compulsory slaughter and
compensation. It will be remembered that the Council having, in
1889, refused to carry out the Rabies Order of 1886, because they had
not control of the Police, the Board of Agriculture delegated the duty to
an Officer appointed by themselves.* It is to be hoped that the Board
of Agriculture may be able to take a similar course with respect
to the carrying out of the permissive provisions "of the Glanders
* The Public Control Committee reported to the County Council at the end of
November, 1892, that Rabies had almost been stamped out in London, but one
case having occurred therein during the year.