Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-01-07
THE CATTLE INDUSTRY.
Report Of the Secretary Of the Board Of Stock
Commis sionerS.

The Helena Independent of the LIST
inst. contained a resume of the
annual report of w. G.. Preuitt,
secretary of the state board of stock
commissioners, which is very inter-
esting, but too long for reproduc-
ton. Some of the points touched
upon, however. can not he over-
look.
Mr.. Preuitt finds that 1.-THE total
shipments to market were 14 ,264
head. and the estimated number
used to supply the home markets
vas $4,000. making the yearly out
put 24, Sf} head, which, at an aver
age price of 1873 per head. which we
believe to De n fair computation,
makes the revenue from this indus
try n trifie less than S. OO. 100. This
il a very noticeable falling off as
compared with the 81 900 of 1885,
but il il due 10Th to the lesser num-
her of cattle marketed. az well AZ to
the lower prices. The decrease i'm
the cattle output for the past year
il not due. wethink. to any permanent
shortage i'm the cattle supply, but
rather to- the fac that, owing to the
favorable climatic conditions, coupled
with good markets, the shipments
for the past two years have been I'M
usuall,' heavy, many stock owners
shiI ping their cattle much closer
than has been their custom. The
past season, owing to the financial
distress prevalent throughout the
nation, II condition of the market
was, we may say, anticipated by
Montana cattlemen, and compare
lively few shipped as closely as dur
ing the preceding two seasons, con-
%sequently the aggregate number of
cattle i'm the state has not decreased.
but in reality remains about normal"
The report of Secretary Preuitt
will make interesting reading or
those engaged i'm the cattle industry.
1t shows there were Dbl ,Sti4 cattle in
spected, of the estimated value,
at S33 a head. or IS. .514. The in
spectors recovered strays to the
number of 1920, and of the amount
received for them. $163, Dob passed
through the secretary's office. The
inspection system of the Montana
board is the model of the country,
and of it's workings the past year the
secretary says:
The force of inspectors was in
A. r.aa sal Il .ltin0 4 hn IuSx- snnsnn lnt
has since been reduced to it's normal
figure seven including j. II. Lander,
being stationed at Chicago: IL. l..
BOurdetie. at st. Paul: X. III. Hickard.
at South Omaha. and w. ID. Smith,
Harry Lund, X. l.. Herein and j. w.
state of Montana.
The reports of the inspectors show
that during 1896, - arrests We're
made i'm all, either by the inspectors
alone or with their assistance. and
ofthis number 36 were convicted and
punished, one was taken to Wyom-
ing ON IA rcquisition, three We're
killed while resisting arrest, and
cases are still pending against three.
two more broke Jail while awaiting
trial and have not been recapturetl,
while the balance We're acquitted.
In the opinion of the secretary, the
year just closed was not an alto
gether unfavorable one for the stock
industry. On this point he says:
In some respects the year 1896
,n an f xIln nnA for tho sfD.E
interests, while i'm Others it.did not
hold up to the average. So far rs
climatic conditions were concerned,
the past year was all tina could he
desired, with an abundance of both
feed and water, and with no en-
tremes i'm weather, with the excep-
ton of the unreasonable storm and
cold i'm November. But, considering
the condition of the markets, the
number of cattle marketed and the
aggregate revenue from the stock
growing industry. the average is
considerably below that of II two
preceding years, and scarcely i'm ex-
cess OF several years prior to 1854"
On the question of new legislation
for the protection Of the stock inter
ests, the secretary asks that the laws
relating to stock killed by trains De
somewhat change for while the COM
panies annually pay for a large num-
Der of stock killed, yet under the
present law much stock SO killed is
never recorded or accounted for,
thus entailing a considerable loss to
stockmen.
1.-THE law pertaining 10 cattle
stealing also requires some change.
for, while the records show a large
number of arrests and convictions,
yet under the present law the pen
atty for cattle stealing Is 80 slight
that a conviction hardly deters rust
lers from carrying on a profitable
business stealing cattle, consequently
the penalty should he increased by
changing the law SO as to make the
stealing of stock constitute grand
larceny" During the past year -.
new brands have been recorded.
Applications for brands continue
to come in AS numerously as ever
but the supply of brands is daily
growing less, and it is becoming eN
ceedingly difficult to record a brand