Arizona republican., 1899-03-02
WHAT FIR. HURLEY SAYS

To the Editor of The Republican,: | Sir: Owing to . suit recently insti- | tuted by the chairman af the livestock sanitary board against one Pat Hu4- ley, for an alleged failure to comply with certain requirements of the live stock law Of 1897 an erroneous i'm pression has gone abroad to the effect that the butchers are trying to eV2ae the IalX Therefore. ! de5:s5 tc present
 a statement Of facts for the enhEhten- n9ent of your readers, both in aud outside of the legislative chambers, believing that the present is a most propitious time.
 Section 42 of the law alluded to re-
 quirc5 butchers eo keep Q book record Of all livestock purchased O. slaugh-
 tered by them, together with the name of the party from whom purchased, date Cf purchase, marks, brands, ages and weight, and at the end of each month to render sworn statement to the inspector Of his district showing a true COPY Of said record.
 On or about February IS Gr. Barnes, in his official ca pacity as chairman Of the livestock sanitary board, sWOre out warrant for the arrest of Pat Hurley fer ncn- compliance with the provisions Of this section Of the law, and o1 trial by a jury of twelve men in the justices court he admitted that he had never person. ally inquired whether O- not the de- fendant had kept such record. To sum the matter up this gentleman rom Navajo county ccouy put Maricopa county to the expense of about $50 to try case absolutely without merit, either because he was too tired to walk down and find ont the facts, or in the hope that the testimony of 50 import ant g parsonage as he would never be questioned.
 Now in regard to this same section Cf the law, it has been in force since 1895, and during Mr. Benham's in2Umbeucy or the office of inspector for the PhOe- nix district. which was after that date, the law was never enforced; in other words, Mr. Bepkam by a tacit under standing with the butchers. shut his eyes to the necessity of such record being kept, and this ~Selfs7me Mir. Barnes acted as MT. Benham's deputy during a portion Of the time he was in office, and well he knows that neither be nor his principal ever saw such a statement from any butcher in Ph0e- nix, and I challenge him to produce cne.
 One thing that I am in a position to prove is. that while Mir. Benham was inspector. and during the time that the law provided fer inspection before and after slaughter, a certain butcher in Phoenix TefuseI to pay the fee thus i'm posed for hide inspection, and after consultation with the said butchers attOTne@%> and the chairman of the beard, at which if was pointed cut that the collection Of the said fee was ille- gal. MT Benham did then and thC-e agree with the said butcher to inSDect his hides gratis if he would keep quiet and not let the other butchers know, SC that at least portion of the income he (Benham) was getting might be continued; in othec words this partic- liar butcher paid Mir. Benham but 10 cents a head fO" the same service that all the other butchers were paving 9 cents fer OF his Representation.
 To come back to the matter of the butchers record as required by law. it Is an utter inpOssibility to comply with the letter of the law. and from careful inquiry from outside butchers, l do not believe that Mir Barnes can produce a half a dozen butchers in the territory who have attempted to accomplish it's provisions It would be well to call the attention Of taxpayers to some other points in connection with the ad- ninistratiCn of the law as 1t stands, and especially in reference to certain bills now before the legislature. 4 c5,5- tleman from the south side handed me q copy of a circular letter over the sig nature of MT. Barnes dated February 21, '99, urging cattlemen to write to all the members of either house with whom they might be acquainted to support certain bills tC the exclusion of