National Republican., 1885-11-21
coMM1ssroNEn coLMAN,s TALK.


COMMISSIONER COLMAN'S TALK.
The Cnttlemen of the West Listen TO |
Frozen Facts About Their Business.
In his address before the national conven-
tion Of stockmen, held at Chicago on Tues
day, Commissioner of Agriculture Colman
said that the history Of the development
and Of the present wonderful magnitude of
the cattle industry creates increased inter
est and fresh astonshment the more 1t is
studied and the more we trace its relations
to the comfort and prosperity of the peo-
pie. In 1850, he said, there were about III
77s,O0O head Of cattle in the country; in
1850, 25, ,62O,000 in 1870 %, ,S20, 600; in 1880,
35,925, 600, aud in 1856 not far from 45,00O,-
4 eco. The value OF these animals Mr..
Colman estimated at 81 200, 100000 There
are, in spite of this wonderful increase,
problems, he said, which have increased in
4 seriousness even more rapidly than your
herds, and eternal vigilance is required to
| keep insidious cattle plaques from sweep
ing through your herds as fire sweeps
n through the dry grass of the prairie. The
I state regulations and restrictions which
have been formulated to protect cattle from
these diseases have caused considerable
trouble and loss TO those interested, and
4 the people are becoming impatient under
the restrictions Of our foreign trade. Various
4 branches OF the animal industry are affected
by these questions, and not the cattle In
terest alone. Contagious diseases and
their restrictions upon foreign trade are not
confined to cattle alone, for our sheep and
swine are slaughtered on English docks
with even more destructive effect on the
y raflic.
The questions which n national conven-
tion Of cattlemen must consider are broad
ones which involve great principles, he
said, In which the breeders and owners are
4 interested. In the thirteen southern states,
beginning with Virginia and ending with
Texas, and including Kentucky, Tennessee,
and Arkansas, all the assessed real estate
= and personal property, as returned IN the
census Of 1880, did not equal the present
estimated value OF our animal industry.
And all the New England states combined,
with the single exception OF New Hamp-
shire, did not have enough assessed valua-
tion in 1850 to equal the present value OF
our domestic animals.
The effect of contagious disease will In
II crease the price OF meat, and II Will reduce
the value of the crops, for such a disease
affects the feed of the meat-producing an
final, the grower of the hay and grain crops,
and the consumer of the meat or other
product. The claim that the cattle business
Is being overdone is not the case, for we
have now just the same number of cattle
per thousand inhabitants as We had In 1850.
Then we had population OF %, l9l ,S76, and
q
estimate the population at 57000,000 and
our cattle at 100000, we have only 772
to the thousand, while in 1850 VIC had S14
head to the thousand. In 1850 New York
had COG cattle to the thousand inhabitants,
and In 1880 but 400.
This condition of the cattle business in
the eastern states reminds us very forcibly
: of the relation of the cattle to the popula-
10 tion in the various countries OF Europe,
where roast beef has become n luxury, to be
- enjoyed only on rare occasions by any but
the upper classes. Let us compare the fig
NJ ures for our old settled states with some of
the European countries according TO latest
~ statistics; New York, AGO cattle TO the
thousand inhabitants; Connecticut, $50;
HX Germany, 367; France, 306; Great Britain
and Iceland, 297. This shows that our cast
ern states are rapidly approaching the con-
Il dition OF the European countries in the pro-
\ pNrtion of cattle to population.
In the United States, from being long ac-
customed to an abundant supply of meat,
and owing to the prosperous condition of
J. our people, we consume more meat per
head than any other country. Considering
= the habits of our people and the consump-
tion of meat per capita New York already
has smaller beef supply than Germany,
and in twelve years will have no greater
one than England. Another reason for the
falling off Of the meat supply in this
country is the increasing meat consumption
Of Europe. In Great Britain in 1910 the
consumption of meat per head was 6l
pounds, and in 1882 100 pounds. There is
already great deficiency in the meat sup
ply Of Europe; thus the demand in Great
Britain above what she produces is 654,-
OO0, with uniform demand OF other
countries. These figures show how I'M
portant 1t is that the meat supply OF the
United States should be guarded with the
greatest care, and that no danger should
threaten any Of the branches Of the animal
industry In our country We may draw
from this one OF the most instructive les
sons as TO the importance OF protecting our
great herds Of cattle from the inroads OF
contagious disease. Let pleuro-Dneumonia
or any Of these cattle plaques sweep over
our territory, destroy our breeding stock,
and discourage our breeders, and the young
est child in this country could not hope to
live long enough to see the cattle business,
or, In other words, the beef supply, OF this
country upon as favorable basis as 1T oc-
L. cupies to-day.
Any cause tending to decrease the cattle
of the country must have much more
serious effect In the future than could have
resulted at any time during. our past his
tory. With this problem Of food supply
Wconfrontng us, then with the inevitable
Wcertainty that our meat production will
prove insufficient for the demand in the
W near future, 1t has become question OF
|great material Importance what we can do
~ to insure our focks and herds against those
y destructive animal plaques which have re-
peatedly caused havoc among the meat-pro-
ducing animals Of every country In the old
world.
The bureau of animal industry has been
struggling to prevent the further extension
of pleuro-pneumonia into the uninfected
ports of the country, and in this 1t has been
successful. The rayages of this disease In
Missouri caused direct loss OF $2,OOO,OOO,
and although the bureau had the money 1t
could not be applied to slaughterlng dis
how expensive is any other plan Of dealing
with such plague 1t is matter OF con-
graduation that the dissemination OF the
dangerous disease In the west has, under
vigorous and intelligent effort, been COM
pletely checked. The country at large Is
I'm much better condition than II was year
ago, but the old disease-centers In the east
Remain, most of them, unguarded and no
one can tell how soon 1t may again be car
ried TO the great stock-growing states Of
the Mississippi or to tho ranges of the
plains.
When It comes to other diseases the
Ubureau has neither the power, the force OF
inspectors, nor the money which would JUS
ify IL In taking any action. Hog cholera
has been unusually prevalent over the
whole country during the year, and its
avages will cost the nation from $25, 900, 900
No $50, 100000. Why should not we adopt
[hs vigorous and intelligent measures for
suppTessing 1t here as are In force In Great
H2Brtain; especially as we have twelve times
ls many animals that are subject TO itp
These are, he said In conclusion, serious
lnd important questions which national
tonvention like this may consider with
great profit to their industry, and l rec
pmmend them TO you as fitting subjects for
4 ~. Inll