, 1884-04-08

'~ y VI III N1N
twelve months, your committee find thai
their labors upon matters of interest Ia
the association have been directed TO a
larger number of subjects and those of
greater importance than have been forced
upon them in any previous year. The
time has come when our business can no
longer be done by the old rule of thumb
method. lu former days we had only To
brand our calves when dropped and shin
u beeves when fat. The calf tally
could be notched on IA single, the check
book was the only book kept and the bal
ance or the overdaft at the bank showed
the whole of the business. Times are
changed. The man who would win and
WIN permanently must look ahead and
read the signs of the future. He must
judgment into his business. He
must buy where he can buy
cheapest, both of cattle and proyis-
ions. He must sell where he can trans
port for the least and realize the most.
He must anticipate the measures neces-
sary to prevent disease. He must provide
that his grazing facilities shall remain un-
Interrupted It is a famous saving that
eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"
Eternal vigilance in anticipating coming
danger is to be the price henceforth Of
successful cattle raising in the west.
The questions which have come before
your committee divide themselves natur-
ally into two classes. In the first are
those pertaining to the cattle interest of
the plains in its broadcast sense.
Under this we class. list, contagious
disease, second-a national organization
of cattle breeders, third-the use of gov
ernment lands for grazing purposes, and
fourth, transportation of beef to market.
In the second class are those questions
relating to the local interest of this associ-
alton which includes the bulk of the
Nebraska breeders and many from Dakota,
Montana, Idaho and Colorado. Under
this we class, first-the duties placed upon
the association by the stock laws recently
enacted in this territory, such as the dis
trictlng OF the entire territory into round
up districts, the supervising ofthe sale of
mavericks and the disposition of the funds
derived therefrom. Second-The rela-
tons Of members of the association who
are not resident of the territory to the
maverick fund. Third-The suppression
of the various forms of cattle theft. 1t is
my intention to take up each of these
questions and treat it as briefly as is CON
sistent with showing you what your com
mittee has tried to accomplish. First
among matters of general interest comes
the question of contagious cattle disease.
AT OUR ANNUAL MEETING
In April last a resolution was passed that
an invitation should be extended to all
cattle breeders to meet in convention at
Chicago during the fat stock show and
discuss this question. This invitation was
sent through Hon. George b. Loring, the
commissioner of agriculture. The con-
yention met in November and continued
three days. Twelve delegates from this
association were present and did much
to shape the action then taken. This
may be summarized as follows. First
The fact was established by EYEWITNESS
testimony that contagious pleuro-pneu-
monia actively exists in some of the
Atlantic states. Second-That it can
not be extirpated without the
action of the general gov
eminent cooperating with the state
authorities. Third-That a committee
should go to Washington to prepare a bill
and urge It's passage. Fourth-That the
officers of the convention should call an
other meeting at Chicago, November,
1884, at which time a permanent organ
ization should be effected to be called the
National Cattle Growers association.
Pursuant to the resolution a very able
committee went to Washington in Janu-
airy and drew up the bill known as the
Animal Industry bill. This has passed
the house of representatives and is now
before the senate The member of the
committee from Wyoming was our presi-
dent, Hon. Joseph NJ. Carey, and it is
owing greatly to his forcible and eloquent
presentation of the bill that it has been
thus far successful. For his devotion of
time and labor he deserves the earnest
thanks and gratitude of this association.
From one quarter a very little opposition
was met and it deserves especial attention.
A large number of the commission firms
of the Union stock yards, Chicago, whose
names are given below, sent II petition to
their Illinois representatives urging the
defeat of the bill. Their petition began
with a confession of Ignorance and ended
with the childish plea that the measure
was introduced by men who wished offices
under it. 1t is a poor compliment to the
men who signed the paper hat they should
seriously imagine that any of the great
cattle owners of the west could desire an
insecure position as a government en-
lllulO at ~ sdldil VI Il CIV hNllbith per
annum.
On seeing the petition referred to, your
committee wrote the principal signers
stating that the bill represented the
unanimous demand for protection
of the cattle growers of this
and other sections and requesting a recon
sideration. To this some replied that they
had signed in ignorance of its intent and
gpmn that thor nonnG had bann
Sci WITHOUT CONSENT.
Both of these classes withdrew their
names publicly. But the majority, head
ed by the firm of Gregory, Cooley x Co,
intimated that they knew what we needed
better than we did and emphasized their
opposition by sending a committee and
a well known lawyer to Washington to
lobby against the bill.
Your committee consider this action so
unjustiiiable as to demand formal notice
at your hands. These firms stand as the
middlemen between the producers Tour
selvcs) and the consumers at the east.
They have received from this association
sions for years past. From us, and from
Others situated as we are, they get the
business on which they live. In this
business they have only the trihing interest
of a brokers commission, and vet when
this great industry is seeking by a careful
and conservative measure to get that pro-
lection which alone can make the business
permanently safe and profitable these men
come forward and offer a vindictive oppo-
sition. The m of the firms and indi-
viduals most prominently a~ntagonizing us
in this measure are: Gregory, Cooley x
Co., Keenan, K Hancock, Harrison, Rogers
4 Co, Levi b. Doud, =. Burns, Coffman
4 Brown, Cassen & Widgsworth, II. L.
Mallory & Bro, Martin Bros, P. II.
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