The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-11-14
SECRETARY RUSK
Presents His Annual Report as
Secretary Of Agriculture.
Congratulations Upon the Outlook for
the Agricultural Interests Of the
Country Increase in Value
of This Years Products.


ture. The report opens with general
expression of congratulation upon the
outlook for agriculture, and calls at
tention to the specially noticeable fea-
ture regarding the crop Values of the
present year. They are SO well sus-
tained in the presence of abundant
yields that the secretary estimates the
probable increase in the value OF agri-
cultural products for 1891 over 1890 at
not less than 500, 1000, 900.
Reviewing our exports and imports
of agricultural products, Secretary
Rusk states that during the first three
months of the present fiscal year our
exports in cereals alone have aggre-
gated in value over ST6, 600, 600, adding
that the indications now are tnat the
sales abroad of the surplus from our
farms will. during the present year,
largely exceed those Of any previous
year lie notes the increase by some
S?S, 900, 900 in the imports of agricul-
tural products during the first ten
months under the present law by
comparison with the same period dur
ing the last year of the old law,
but emphasizes the fact that the
increase is confined largely to articles
not competing with home products,
such as sugar. tea, coffee, etc. At the
same time he states that the change in
rates has checked the importation of
products which may be produced at
home He notes decrease in tobacco
from s.. Oo0. 900 to 5000, 900: a falling
off in foreign barley of nearly three
and n half millions: in eggs, one and a
ouartcr millions; in horses, falling
off of nearly a million and half, and
n gradual decline in the imports of all
live stock.
Referring to the import ,of hides, ad-
mitted free of duty, he states that this
causes a great depreciation in prices
realized for hides of home production
and earnestly recommends that the
dutv proyided for in the reciprocity
section of the new tariff law be i'm
posed in all cases where the countries
from which such hides are SHIPPED have
not granted equal concessions in re-
gard to the admission of the agricul-
tural products of the United States.
Tb. secretarv In speakinp of the
,,.;,bdr,v,1 bv the Governments OF
corn,rv Dspmarl. and italy of the
nrobibit;on AGAINST American pork, ex-
,,r.sses his bipb appreciation of the
p-esident,s personal interest in the
,,,tt.r ,v;tbout which. he saws "this
,,r,nd resuIt could never have been
att,inedn " He reviews the subject of
,,,..,t ;psnection stating that il was not
- d.n,,ndad in order To keen our
foraipn markets and deyelop them, but
that there WAS a yery general demand
| for some inspection, by the people of
our own country, in many states of
which, indeed, laws had been passed
providing for a local inspection, which
laws had, however, been generally con-
demned Us an interference with inter-
state commerce. He urges a system of
inspection for all articles of food which
are the subject of interstate OF foreign
trade.
| The secretary offers considerable evil
dence as to the efforts of this govern
ment TO meet all reasonable demands
from foreign countries with a view to
preyenting the transmission through
our cattle exports of communicable
animal disease sto foreign cattle. citing
esnec;aIlv the excellent control of all
such diseases within our own country;
the rigorous inspection of all animals
coming into the United States; the in
spection of all animals exported. and
even of cattle-carrying vessels, in or
| L,,
name treatment of cattle on ship
hoard.
He no;nts ont the fact that fer more
,b,n year there has been no we'll
outbent;cateJ case of transmission to
f,ro;gp countries of n single case of
pleuro-pneumonia in American cattle,
and that in the only alleged cases COM
plained of by the British authorities
the diagnosis of the American cattle
;nsnectors on the other side who denied
that these were genuine pIeuro-pneu.
monia have been triumphantly vindi-
.o,.d NOT only nv the life history of
the cattle traced by means of our in
spection system to the farms from
which they were purchased in this
country Int nv the expert experience
of highest British authorities obtaina.
HE
The condition of the United States
trade and the vipilant supervision OF
our governmept he saws. Justify the
strongest presentation to the British
government of the grievance which
our cattle raisers suffer unjustly by
reason of its arbitrary regulations en-
forced against American cattle, coupled
with an urgent demand for their re
moval: adding that they have beer
clearly shown to be useless, and that
their maintenance can only be regarded
as an evidence of unfriendliness.
He concludes that Justice as well a.
proper self-respect demand such {
course" and adds that he shall in the
absence of the removal of such un
friendly restrictions, feel it his duty tC
suggest the rigid enforcement of tht
law now in existence prohibiting i'm
ports into the United States of all live
animals, but at present suspended as {
matter of friendship to foreign govern
ments. He says we have far more jus
litigation for the exclusion from the
| Ir,,;,a5 Sta,as Of oil animals COMING