The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-05-07

The bill for the establishment of q
bureau of animal industry, to prevent the
expectation of diseased cattle, and to
provide means for the suppression and
extirpation ofpleuro pneumonia and other
contagious diseases among domestic ami
mails, appears to be meeting with strong
opposition from eastern cattle dealers.
Telegram after telegram is pouring in on
the senate from stock-yard managers and
heavy shippers, stating that there is no
possible need of bill to suppress dis
eases which do not now and never have
existed. Such talk is all very well in its
way, but the public at large in our west
ern territories entertain an entirely diff
ferent view of the matter. The time to
lock the stable door is before-not after
the horse is stolen-and the time for
legislation toward the suppression and
extirpation of contagious cattle diseases,
is when they are in their incipency. and
not when they have become generally
epidemic.
The disease of lung-plague exists to
limited extent in circumscnbed localities
along the Atlantic seaboard, where it
was first introduced by importation from
Great Britain and Holland. Various
State laws have been passed for the sup
preston of this disease and several hum
dred thousand dollars expended, but
owing to the lack of united action by the
several States, and the difficulty of re-
gulating by State enactments the COM
merce between the States, it has been
impossible 80 far to entirely eradicate the
disease, except in the single State of
Massachusetts,, which took immediate
action on discovering the disease, and by
prompt measures, at an expenditure of
about 500, 900, successfully eradicated it.
Lately disease closely resembling the
foot and mouth disorder, has been dis
covered in several large bands of cattle
in Iowa, and although q prominent YETI
neary sergeon pronounces it harmless
and not contagious. Still it has aroused
our Montana cattle men to the necessity
of some national legislation which will
prevent the indiscriminate shipment of
diseased cattle to our western ranges.
Those who have made . study of cattle
raising can well remember the case of
Australia, where formerly vast herds of
cattle roamed the extensive plains of that
country Is they now do the plains of our
own western frontier. In the year 1858
q single COW infected with the lung
plague was imported into that country
from England, and from that one animal
the disease extended to the ranges of the
interior and entirely destroyed the herds
Of whole districts of country, 90 that the
raising of cattle was abandoned in con-
sequence. The same state of affairs oc.
Cured in South Africa. We cite these
cases to show what would be the result
of the infection of our own western
ranges now teeming with millions of cat
tie. That they have not already become
affected is due solely to the fact that the
traffic In live stock has been almost en-
tirely from the West to the east.
This year things are changed, and it is
estimated that over $1,000 head of cattle
are being shipped from Iowa and Mime
sofa to our Montana ranges, and this is
going on without single inquiry as to
their healthfulness. The senate and
house of representatives should act
speedily in this matter and should legis-
late not for the benefit of any class or
clique, but the good of the entire coun-
try.
The number of neat cattle in the
United States, as estimated by the census
of 1880, is 41,171 900, representing an
estimated value of s., 600 600. The
number of Swine is 43 ,O0O, 900. represent
ing an estimated value of $500 000, 900.
Surely interests of such magnitude are
worthy the most careful consideration
-otection.