A.—2

106

§12. It is the duty of the sheriff to arrange that a veterinary surgeon is present at horse and cattle markets, and also cattle-shows which are held in the county, to exercise control on behalf of the authorities whether any of the domestic animals present are attacked by any contagious disease (§§ 2 and 10) or obviously suffer from tuberculosis (§11), and in like manner he can order that all animals be examined by a veterinary surgeon before being turned out on a common meadow. The sheriff shall also be authorized, when he finds occasion thereto, to order the disinfection of all public stables or similar places for stocking domestic animals from other places, and likewise where there is any possibility of danger of any contagious disease, to order a general examination by a veterinary surgeon of all domestic animals of a certain description over a larger or smaller part of the county as is found necessary. When it is believed that the spreading of a contagious disease is to be feared, the Minister of the Interior can order veterinary control of bacon-factories, co-operative or other dairies which have pigsties, or stables which are used by cattle-dealers for the stabling of animals, or premises of other trades which to a great extent offer danger from contagion. The expenses incurred for the veterinary control shall be defrayed by the Treasury. §13. On those places that are used for the deposition of rubbish, or, under similar circumstances. in places where swine-fever may be feared to spread easily, the Minister of the Interior shall lie authorized, after conferring with the Veterinary Sanitary Board, to forbid pig-sties as well as the use of buildings in connection therewith. Compensation for loss in this respect will only be granted to those who have pig-sties on such places prior to the date of the entering into force of this Act. Compensation which is paid by the Treasury shall only be paid to private individuals, and only for direct loss. The Minister of the Interior shall, when no occasion is present for the enforcing of these regulations, be authorized, for the prevention of the spreading of the, disease, to order the necessary restrictions with reference to pig-sties on the above places, as well as slaughtering under public control, the forbidding of t he sale or removal of live pigs in other ways except for instant slaughtering, &c. §14. Where there is reason to believe that any of the contagious diseases have broken out amongst domestic animals in a foreign country, the Minister of the, Interior can issue an order forbidding the importing of that species of animal from the said country, together with raw products of same, as hair, skins, tallow, or flesh, as well as of other animals or articles which would bring the contagion with them. When such a disease has broken out in such country the said Minister of the Interior can either entirely forbid the transporting of the species of animal so attacked, as well as other animals or articles with which the contagion could be brought from that part of the country, county, or part of same where the disease is in evidence, to other parts of the country, or make the admission to same dependant upon certain conditions, as the production of certificates of health, &c, which are considered necessary to prevent the spreading of the disease. §15. All animals which can be attacked by a dangerous contagious disease shall, on their importation to this country, be subjected to an examination of health at the cost of the importer, according to the regulations which may be ordered by the Minister of the Interior. The same shall be authorized to decide the further regulations for the importing of such animals, as well as the raw products of same, which may be considered necessary to protect the country against the importation of contagion. When cattle-plague has broken out in the adjoining districts of neighbouring countries, the Minister of the Interior is authorized to enforce the regulations in §6 against the said disease in those districts at the boundaries, without respect to whether any cases of the disease have been found here in the country. §16. Infringements of the regulations in this Act, or in the execution of the duties demanded or ordered in the same, are punishable with fines from 400 to 500 kroner, when no larger fine is authorized by other Acts ;in cases of a second offence the fines are doubled. All those who, by their own carelessness, have been the cause of an outbreak of a contagious disease in their stock lose all right to public compensation which otherwise would have been given them according to this Act. Those who import live animals from foreign countries contrary to the regulations for importation in force, or without special permission hereto, are, liable to imprisonment, according to section 25 of the civil penal code. All cases with respect to the. breaking of this Act are treated as public police cases. The lines inflicted accrue to the, local communal funds. §17. All expenses incurred on account of the regulations of this Act for diseased or supposed diseased animals with reference to isolation or cleaning, or cleansing of stables, requisites, or the like, or the burying of dead animals, shall be paid by the owner ; though, however, the expenses in connection with the procuring of special disinfectants (carbolic water, chloride of lime, &c.) ordered by the veterinary police surgeon shall be refunded to the owner by the authorities according to the regulations in §8. Should it be found necessary in order to prevent the further spreading of contagion to destroy dangerous contagion-bearing articles, such as the skin of the dead animal, fodder, hay, straw, stable requisites, &c, the loss incurred shall be paid by the authorities to the owner in accordance with the regulations given, with an account assessed by valuation made before the destruction of the articles by three valuers appointed by the inspector of the police. Expenses with new work which has been ordered by the authorities on this account, such as the erection of rooms for the isolation of the diseased animals, when no such place, is found on the property, renewal of pavement, restoration of woodwork, and the like, shall similarly be paid to the owner in full. If a stock has been isolated by the authorities, and it proves afterwards that the supposed contagious disease, has not been present, the owner shall be compensated for the loss incurred by the precautions so taken; with reference to the amount of the said compensation, the inspector of the police, shall, after consulting the sufferer, report through the local sheriff to the Minister of the Interior, who shall decide in the case ; for the City of Copenhagen the report shall be sent by