The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-12
WANT RIDDLE FIRED
Petition For His Removal Has
Been Started.
SIGNED BY STOCKMEN
Alleges That the Present Sys-
tenn is SenSeIeSS.

Yesterday the Union Stock Yards Ex-
operations toward enecting some sort Of
relief from the oppressive and highly IN
satisfactory conditions of the present sys-
TEN Of cattle inspection. An elaborate
petition has been drawn up and generally
signed by the commission firms at the
Exchange. here and elsewhere, addressed
to the governor and praying him, in the
interests of one of Kansas great indus
tries 10 remove from the board OF soni-
tary live stock commission, Taylor ID
die, and in his place appoint some COM
petenC cattle expert who will look after
the interests OF the states live stock af-
fairs in g manner which will operate 10
the credit of the board and the interests
OF the cattlemen. The manner OF inspect
ing by the sanitary board and the inspect
ors themselves have become SO obnoxious
that it is deemed time TO call a halt.
Fat cattle going out Of feed lots adjoin
ing Kansas must be inspected by state
inspector before they can go, the fee 10 be
paid by the shipper. By the present sys-
tenn the inspectors are stationed along the
border line, at Kiowa, Caldwell and other
towns. and when a shipper from the ter
ritory desires TO ship his stock in, one
OF these supernumeraries must be sent for
and his permit obtained. Perhaps this
functionary is up here in Wichita attend
ing horse race, or may be a Kansas
City ION business" it makes no differ
ence, the cattle already loaded at some
point must wait for the inspector to get
there and look them over before they can
go out. One instance will suffice to show
how this works a hardship to the ship
per. Four cars of fat cattle were held
"a hours awaiting the arrival OF a so-called
inspector. and the shrinkage and damage
resulting to the shipper was so great that
he lost money on the consignment. Here
tofore it has been customary for the state
inspectors TO work in unison with the gov
eminent inspector, but now they work
Independently and dire havoc has been
the natural result. These alleged in
spectors are not under oath or under bond
and frequently incompetent. and the very
end in view is thus defeated, namely,
that Of keeping fever infected cattle out.
Moreover the rule formerly has been to
apply this inspection to such stock cat
tie as were shipped into Kansas pastures
for grazing, but now it effects fat cattle
as well. and all stock shipped to market
for immediate killing.
One paragraph Of the petition reads as
follows:
"The system of inspection has been
conducted in such a way as to cause great
expense, delay, trouble, loss and annoy
ance to honest stockmen who have sought
to bring cattle into the state, and such
system has always been a menace, and in
many cases has amounted to actual fraud,
upon the rights Of shippers, without
keeping out such stock as was intended
to be kept out by the establishment OF
the commission"
Taylor Riddles scalp is the main issue,
not for any political motive whatever, for
it is signed by an, Irrespective of party,
but simply because he is responsible for
this very obnoxious system of insane cat
tie inspection which works so great a
loss and inconvenience to Kansas stock
interests without in any manner keeping
out diseased cattle.