The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-01-31
COLUMBUS LETTER.
COLUMBUS. Jan. q, 1889.

While local legislation requires the
largest portion Of the legislators time.
and much Of the laws are comparatively
unimportant, some questions come to
the surface that will before long be felt
by ever farmer in the State. One Of
these is the dressed meat business. Our
farmers wonder why beeves are no
higher now than of grass. II they could
only realize the magnitude Of the dressed
beef traffic in Ohio now, and know it is
just in its infancy, they would not be
surprised at the result. The question is,
will the brakes be put on before it is too
late? The people in the towns and
cities are just like those in the coun.
try. When many Of the farmers want
to improve you will hear the expression,
II am glad materials are low, I want to
build" never rejecting for q moment
that the bone and muscle that digs the
ore from the mountain and refines and
fashions 1t into hardware, and that fells
the timber and fashions it and gives 1t
its polish receives its strength from the
product of the farm. And when the
laborer, the operative, the mechanic
and the engineer are only half paid, the
farmer may expect half pay for his pro.
duce, and yet how many realize the
true cause Of our depressions? or in
other words, why we can't always buy
cheap and sell dear. Swift, Armour &
Co., and few other such firms, can drive
the last beef out of our Ohio markets If
allowed their way. The money that is
now spent at home for beef and returned
to the merchants, manufacturers and
mechanics will be sent to Chicago, Kan.
sas City and the far West. Ohio, that
raises as healthy cattle as the world can
produce, will be driven from the market,
and our people will be supplied from
the west and southwest where large
heards are never free from disease. The
big jaw, cancerous disease in some
parts Of the southwest, effects nearly
one.fourth of some herds. The goiter is
equally bad, and no inspection can
detect the beef of such animals when
slaughtered. But what will be the re.
suit when the farmers of Ohio can't
supply her citizens with beef? We need
only ask of the wheat strikers of few
months ago who ran the price of wheat
from IS cents per bushel to $l.50 in
few days. Let no laboring man fatter
himself, that by allowing the great cat
tie industry OF Ohio to be broken down
he will not ultimately suffer thereby.
The men of Columbus, Cleveland and
other cities OF Ohio are now getting
cheap beef and the farmers are fast
going out of the cattle business, but this
will only last till there is chance for
corner on beef. Mr.. oShinn, of Adams
county, introduced bill last session to
quiet the title to lands granted to the
Agricultural College. When the grant
was made by the United States its advo-
Gates supposed they were dealing with
the knobs and rocks among the hills--un.
surveyed, unpatented and uninhsbited.
But by the decision of the courts all
lands not patented come under the
grant and includes many farms-some
fine ones. The bill, by some work,
passed the House, but it may have
trouble to pass the Senate, as some out
side parties are antagonizing it, doubtless
to feather their nests.
At a meeting of the Trustees Of High.
land county on the 10th ult. to consider
the road question, it was resolved to ask
the General Assembly to pass special
act for Highland county abolishing the
office OF road supervisor and give the
Trustees power to divide the townships
into one or more road districts and ap.
point superintendent for each. The
Representative from Highland county
could get such an act passed if he knew
it was the wish Of the people. But to
abolish the right to elect public officer,
and make it appointive, is RESPONSE
bility he would not like to assume un.
less he had an expression from High.
land and knew large majority desired
such change. Instruction on the ques-
ton would be gladly received and duly
considered. The question of trusts and
monopolies is exercising the legislators
to considerable extent, but how to
curb their power or control their opera.
tions is the most gigantic question our
people have to face. A power almost un-
known and unfelt ten years ago now
threatens to set at defiance or neutralize
the effect of government and law. But
more anon. BRUTUs.