, 1884-04-09

pneumonia and shipped them to Ney
York. A farmer in the vicinity shocked
at such n villainousi transaction, tele
graphed the board of health in New
York and the cattle was siezet
and destroyed on arrival in New York
One bull sent to Australia in 1858 in
fected that whole country. One bull sen
to Africa spread the contagion there
-Four COWS to Massachusetts, in 1850 COS
that state S360,oO0y One COW in Nev
York in lS43 has left her trail wide anC
deep to the present day, and were it no
that the tide of travel has been in the pas
from the west eastwarda the contagiot
would ere this have spread all over tn
country. But now things are changing.
The high price of calves and stockers in
duee dealers to invade the infected dis
trict for their supplies. Already n large
trade in cattle from lPenhsylyania anC
Maryland to Chicago has been established
and unless stringent measures are adopt
ed | assure you that the ~contagion will be
transferred to our broad plains.
A PERTINENT QUESTION.
What are you going to do about it? A
committee Of cattle growers met in Chi.
cago last November, drew up a uconstitn-
ton and appointed a committee to, 80. to
/ dShluSlbu anu CIlucdNOIE 10 StClTt llG
enactment of laws looking to the stamp
ing out of contagious pleuro-pneumonia
in certain states ON the Atlantic seaboard.
This association should be Justly proud OF
the record of the past year in their efforts
to secure the enactment Of laws that
would p~erpetuate the national prosperity.
But the Indifference Of cittle owners,
statesmen and the public generally, the
absence of anything, organization of the
stockmen, the lack ola fund of the
sinews OF war to vigorously push the
blll-together whit determined front
displayed by people who imagined that
some of their particular interest in the
cattle traffic might be linterfered with,
gathered themselves together and en-
| ployed a lobbyist, who has stccccded In
putting the bill that was before congress
in rnine hole. from whichthere appears
but little hope of extricating it this year.
ir FACTS FOR REFLECTION.
The cattle industry has been rudely
shaken during the past few weeks on ac-
count of the report of the contagious dis
ease among the cattle in. the state oil
Kansas. If the report Of the miidest 81
the three bovine plaques can shake our
prosperity, what would be the result, il
the dread pleuro- pneumonia once gained
a foothold in the western states2f agl iupd.
1t has been proved that state action is
a%bundantly able to stamp out this plague
but unfortunately the infected States are
devoted to manufacturing and commerce,
and their Legislators by I. short sighted
policy, fail to. appreciate that to have a
ready market for their products, they
must foster the prosperity Of the whole
country, instead of harboring a deadly
! ,,ut,lanna wh,ahGa Golln =, 1,,,l E,rlf
and imperil every industry. as1nlt-E 49,
- ANIMAL INDUSTRY BIhBa ,u.af'
Should the bill now before congress be.
come a law, the result will be increased
confidence in all branches of industry, and
continued prosperity, and in time the re-
moval of the almost prohibitive restrictions
placed on our export cattle trade by Eng
land. If congress cannot by reason ofthe
sovereignty of states, enact such laws as
will stamp out pleuro-pneumonia which
afhict the cattle of certain states, then 1t il
the duty of congress to make such laws
that the president of the United States
shall have the authority to quarantine any
state having within its jurisdiction any
fatal contagious disease of CATTLE which
by spreading might endanger the whole
stock industry. goo -sv 4
hn- EUROPEAN CATTLE. ~
For five years past the United States
authorities have imposed on the importer
of cattle from Europe, aquarantine Of 80
days on arrival of his herd in this country;
and this quarantine is enforced in the
midst Of our own infected district on the
Atlantic seaboard, and at the came time,
any person can ship without. let or hind
rance cattle from the infected states, in
deed from the very herds suffering with
the dread pestilenee, TO all parts Of the
United States.
The bill now before congress entitled
"aabil to establish a bureau of Animal
Industry should be called "a bill to
perpetuate u nations prosperity, as it
will prove if it even becomes a law. lat o.
If all states and territories were to
enact laws creating a veterinary depart
ment for the prompt investigation of all
outbreaks of disease among horses, cattle,
sheep and swine, as well as to prevent the
importation of contagion, it would prove
even better than federal laws to every
department of industry, by preventing
senseless rumors that disturb all branches
of traffic and destroy commerce.
While it has been demonstrated that
contagious plero-pneumonia l can be
stamped out of a district, by state authori-
ties, still in the case of the eastern states,
it is impossible owing to the diverse views
and interest involved in the different
states, to secure that concert of action
necessary to success. 3a< q
OF what benefit is it for one state to do
this work while the next state harbors
the pest. Nothing short Of federal quar-
antine imposed on the infected state,
enforced with heavy penalties, will guaran-
tee success.
In conclusion, gentlemen, / ~congratu-
late you, in the fact that at the present
time there are no contagious diseases
among the cattle of Wyoming. ~
JAS. d. HOPKINS, d. V. s.,
Territorial Veterinarian.