New-York tribune., 1891-05-17
THE OCEAN CATTLE TRADE.
REPORT OF THE ENGLISH COMMITTEE IN
VESTIGATING IT.
THE UNITED STATES REGULATIONS APPROVED
-PLIMsoLL's CHARGES OF SYSTEMATIC
CRUELTY NOT sUBSTANTIATED
VARIOUS ABUSES AND
THEIR REMEDIES.


Londsn, May 1G.-The Transatlantic Cattle iiHoo
Committee to-day completed q voumnous TpoIO
upon the subject which 1t has been tnvesugauns.
After an elaborate review Of the history ana peso.
condition of the transatlantic trade, the report
gives an implied approval Of the Unitea e'A'es Tvs"
lations for the inspection and shipment OF caV"o
According TO the report, ocean steamships "iioi wiz"
are only occasionally chartered for the ocean ca'e
trade have IN some instances an unsatisfactory ciass
of officers who arc generally speaking, without ca
perience In this particular trade. Inc n''s' o"N
ventilation of such ships are also Hequenhs ul
adapted to the 10 when they are P""
regard TO the management OF cattle IN transit @oio
The ocean the report admits that the foremen en-
Gagged for the voyage are usually EXPERIENCED anu
.kIful men, on the other hand 1t is added' the men
who are employed under these foremeh W ioeu'
water and otherwise attend TO the cattle WhHe uaN
Cling across the Atlantic, are generally uhsAiou
and in many instances totally unable plysicdiis I"
endure the exertion privauOns and natural hausIps
Of a rough voyage from America to England iio
report also says that the men performing te uiouiV
and dangerous duties Of attending cattle ID smpion'
TO Europe are badly paid and fed frequently Dee V'
pelied TO work for nothing. As result Oh tiis s'o %
affairs the cattle arc often LETT WlChou'
,ood or wafer for considerable periods especially IN
rough or cold weather when the cattemen are suo'i"e
from seasichness or other troubles
The accommodations and food provided for lle
cattlemen the report continues, are ofteh lhauoqu
N~N>-N
ON shipboard have been treated with great cruelty.
Rut the report adds the allegations of Samuel Pmson
formerly Member of Parliament and weil Known oo
the originator Of the sPlmsoll Line" on shps) |" 'o
effect that great and systematic crueiy
practised upon cattle board the cattle shps' Is ho
supported in the evidence taken by the comihl'ee'
Among the witnesses examined by the commteo was
one who said that he had men splitting tobacco
Juice into the eyes Of exhausted cattle ana ta' nc @u
also pouring water into the cars anu nos'ri'
of cattle to make them rise to their feet'
The committees report admits that 1t Is dnhcuit
o. arrive At the exact truth as TO the crueltes TO
which IL is alleged cattle on board ship are subjected
owing 10 the fact that IL is in the interest OF all COLI
ccrned to conceal the read facts The committee no"
ever is inclined to believe that cruelty 10 cal'e
rarely practsed except by the inferior class Oh ca
men already referred 10. A..
Cont,nuinp the report saws that indirectly the
conditions of the insurance of cattle shipped to Europe
are such as to entail certain amount OF su"erHis'
The certificates of insurance, 1t appears seeIanS
state that no claim be made for any animals lahueu
alive, however much they may have been ih!uieu
durinc fe VOYAGE. Ii is the belief OF cattle toreeh
that M insurance viii be paid unless the animal
dies a natural DEATH In contradiction OF tms' lle
representatives of the insurance companies say 'nat
they do not make it cOndluOn Ot payment ol
insurance that beasts shall be saughtefeo Oh 'o
VOYAGE The evidence of a cattleman however, proves
that either the cattlemen do not know this or tlat
they consider il more 10 their interest to land the
cattle alive though injured The insurance companies
In order to encourage the cattlemen to handle ter
charges as carefully as possible give sI@thlcS I
10 these men The committee with tne ABOVE
and other facts before It, expresses the opinion
that it is not surprising that cat'emen nave mistaken
thai they have often kept cattle alive though tle
latter were suffering from broken leg 80 ,,,
IN concnsinn the report says that cattle should
NOT be carried on poop-decks or under temporary
shelters or upper decks The report also SAYS tn4e
the committee regards the comfort and safety OF caltlo
on board ship as largely dependent upon the strength
and efficiency of the pens ana tlelr nttlHss mIo di
are often insecure especially in the case of Canadla
vessels. , -. ,o .ortilo
tion for ratte is impossible such vessels should be
considered to be unit for the transatlantic eatle ,
man reouires moi less than four competent assistants
for each 100 head Ct cattle; The foreman ic,a ana ms
assistants should be required to sign the s1ips !t
of the captain.