National Republican., 1884-01-16
DEMANDING A HEARING.
The Grcnt Live Stock Interest Calls Upon
Congress FOR Protection Against Foreign

The Grcnt Live Stock Interest Calls Upon
Congress for Protection Against Foreign
Ipiustloc.
Representative Hatch, chairman of the
house committee on agriculture yesterday
submitted to the house a memorial signed by
number of dealers in live stock, asking for
legislation to protect their interests. Tho
memorialists refer to tho losses which the
live stock interests of the country suffer by
reason of the restrictive regulations now
enforced by foreign governments against the
importation of American live stock and meat
products into their respective countries, and
say:
'Wc bolivc that these regulations are to
great extent inspired by motives other than
those publicly assigned" ",rhe facts" they
say, ARE briefly as follows Tho disease Of
lung plague exists to limited extent In cir
CumsGrihcd localities along the Atlantic sea-
board. where it was first introduced by i'm
portation from Great Britain and Holland.
Various state laws have been passed for the
suppression of this disease and several hun
drcd thousand dollars expended, but owing
to the lack of united action by the several
states and tho difficulty of regulating by state
enaCtncntS the commerce between the states,
it has been impossible so far to entirely
eradicate tho disease except in tho single state
of Massachusetts, which took immediate action
on discovering Uno ulSeNSc, ana Dy prOmpC
measures, at an expenditure of about $780,
600, successfully eradicated it. There is also
q certain amount of disease existing among
tho swine Of the United States, but certainly
not to nearly so great an extent as is repre-
sented abroada Tho statistics of our export
trade show that we are now annually losing
millions Of dollars by reason of these restric-
tions. The number of meat cattle in the
United States, as estimated by the census of
1850, is Al III 900, representing an estimated
value of Sl,2j0,00O,000. The number of
swine is 100000, representing an estimated
value of S300,0O0,000 Our exports of live
stock aud meat products during the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1882 amounted
to S120,000,000; for the fiscal year ended
June so, 1888, they amounted only to $780,
O00,000 thus showing decrease of $l3,000-
COO. This great and rapidly growing in
terest is not only seriously embarrassed by
reason Of the restrictive regulations imposed
by foreign governments against our meats,
but the actual existence of the cattle inter-
eSts Is imperilcd by the prevalence of con-
tagious pleuro-pneunonia,. or lung plague.
In 1858 single COW infected with the lung
plague was imported into Australia from
England, and from that one animal tho dis
case extended TO the ranges Of tho interior,
and entirely destroyed the herds of whole
districts of country, SO that the raising OF
cattle was abandoned in consequence.
Tho same state of affairs occurred in
South Africa, In consequence of the restric-
tions which Great Britain imposes on our ex-
ports of live cattle, animals taken from this
country bring an average of Sl5 per head less
than If the same cattle were exported from
Cadada, where rigid examination of cattle
is enforced and no disease Is known to exist.
This places our cattle industry at serious
disadvantage in competition with countries
against which no restrictions are imposed and
tends constantly to lessen the aggregate of our
export. Much greater percentage of losses is
sustained by reason of tho restrictions i'm
posed by foreign countries upon our pork
products
The memorialsts ask congress to provide
means for the extinction of the disease of
pieuro-pneumonia and this, they say, can
only be done by the slaughter of all infected
cattle. The memorial further says that the
members of the United States cattle commits
sion, who have mado very thorough exam
ination Of this subject, estimate tho expense
of such measure at Sl,50O00O. In the
opinion of the memorialists not more than
$780, 900 need be made Immediately available.
The memorial further recommends, with a
view to removing the prejudice of foreign
customers that q rigid system of inspection
of all meat products for export be provided
for and enforced-the expense of such in
spection to be borne by the exporter.
In order that tho states whose legislatures
are now in session may take immediate steps
in the direction of corporation early con-
sideration on the part of congress is earnestly
urged.
The memorial is signed by ]. b. Grinnell,
Iowa; Il. q. Anderson, kentuky; j. M. Carey,
Wyoming; d. w. Smith, Illinois; ID. Robb,
Ayres, Wisconsin; Levi Stockbridge, Massa-
chusetts; S. X, Thompson, Nebraska; G., N.
Lawrence, Pennsylvania; W. j. Wilson, Colo
RADIO, and L. NJ Hunt, New Jersey. .l