[ Act No. 3166, October 02, 1924 ]

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE USE OF RINDERPEST VACCINE IN THE CONTROL OF RINDERPEST AND OTHER CONTAGIOUS AND INFECTIOUS CATTLE DISEASES, APPROPRIATES THE SUM OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1.  The  Director  of Agriculture is hereby authorized and empowered to require, whenever and wherever he deems it necessary for the control  of rinderpest and other contagious  and infectious  cattle  diseases,  livestock owners  to have their animals injected against rinderpest with rinderpest vaccine, serum or virulent blood, or  such other substances he may deem adequate for the prevention of contagion and  infection  from other diseases, or  a combination of substances at the discretion of the livestock owners.

SEC.  2. The Director of Agriculture is hereby authorized to prescribe the necessary  and proper rules  and  regulations in order to accomplish the purpose of this Act; and for this purpose, he or his duly authorized representatives shall also have authority to compel and require all livestock owners or persons in representation of said livestock owners in the places where general injection of animals has been decided  upon by the Director of Agriculture, after  a consultation with the provincial  governor and  the president of the municipality concerned, to construct and build  the stocks, sheds, or inclosures which said livestock owners or their duly authorized representatives may require,  and to assemble their animals at such time and place  that the provincial governor and  the  municipal  president shall determine: Provided, That  if a  disagreement should arise at the consultation, the decision  of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall be final:  Provided, further, That the construction and building of the said stocks, sheds, or inclosures shall be  chargeable if necessary, in the judgment of the Director of Agriculture or his duly  authorized representative, against the fund appropriated in this Act.

SEC. 3. When  the  general  injection of animals against rinderpest has been decided upon in any province by  the Director of Agriculture, after  a consultation with the provincial  governor  and  the president  of the  municipality  concerned, it shall  be the  duty of the  provincial governor and the  municipal presidents  of the province  concerned to cooperate with the Director of Agriculture in the strict en forcement of the regulations and orders made and prescribed under the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 4. Any person  who refuses to submit his  animal for injection against  rinderpest  or other  contagious and  infectious  cattle disease  or who contravenes any  of the provisions of  this Act or any lawful regulations made  hereunder, or who  obstructs or  impedes or assists in obstructing  or impeding the  Director of  Agriculture or  other  authorized officers in the  execution of any of the provisions of this Act or of any regulations and orders issued hereunder, shall be liable to prosecution,  and upon conviction shall for each offense be punished by imprisonment of not exceeding one month or by a fine  of not more than  one hundred  pesos, or by both at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 5. There is hereby appropriated,  out of  any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one hundred thousand pesos to be allotted from time to time  as the need thereof may arise  by the Department Head to the Bureau of  Agriculture, for the purpose set forth in this Act.

SEC. 6. The funds herein appropriated shall be expended for the purchase of animals, equipments, supplies, and medicines required  for  the  manufacture  of  the  rinderpest vaccine,  serum,  and  virulent  blood;  for  salaries  and wages of additional technical and other personnel connected with the manufacture and application of these products; and for  rents and freights: Provided, That any  balance  of the funds herein appropriated at the end of each  fiscal year shall not revert to the Insular Treasury but shall be used for the purposes for which it is appropriated until  exhausted.

SEC. 7. The appropriation of one hundred thousand pesos herein provided shall be excepted from the  provisions of Joint Resolution Numbered  One of  the Legislature, approved  on  March  the  sixteenth, nineteen  hundred  and twenty-three.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect on its  approval.

Approved, October  2, 1924.