Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-01-18
THREATENS TO DECLARE
WAR ON RAILROADS
National Live Stock Association
Demands Fairer Treatment
From Carriers.
PRESIDENT sPRlNGER's ADDRESS
Declares Terminal Charges Must he
Abrosatcd and Feeding i'll
Transit Rates Restored
by Railroads.

Fort Worth, Tex, Jan. is. The
third annual convention oil the Ma
tional Live Stock association of the
United States began here today With
good attendance of delegates. The
annual address was delivered by Pres
ident Springer. lin the course of his
address he said:
Il regret to be compelled to report
that the railways terminating at Mis-
souri, river points have been very un-
generous with the live stock interests
i'm 1899. Notwithstanding Il generally
accepted promise, made by certain
railway officials, the feeding in transit
privilege which we have enjoyed for
over a quarter of century was abro-
gated without excuse.
This has been the banner year in
the carrying trade for the railways of
this country and yet they We're
forced to assail the already burdened
live stock industry to increase their
revenues. This great organization
possibly should employ the pest traffic
manager obtainable and give him au-
thority to route all of our live stock
and see who will furnish the best serv-
ice for the most reasonable figure.
This is the way the Rockefellers made
the Standard Oil combination so pow
crful. They arranged to own their
own cars, and the railroads of the
United States pay them literally TO
haul them tille1.
The members of the National Live
Stock association are today stronger
financially than the Standard Oil syn
dicate. We have nearly 100000, 900 ef
active working values in our horses,
cattle, sheep and hogs owned by our
own members, to say nothing of those
we indirectly represent.
Shall we take this railroad bull by
the horns and twist his neck, or shall
we be tossed like a ball from pillar to
post, each time with Il little higher
freight rate tackled onto our animal
anatomy?
81 am for peace if it can be obtained
on any reasonable basis, but for war if
we can obtain no redress by diplo-
matte methods.
This great live stock organization
has decreed that the terminal charges
at stock yards i'm this country is
against public policy and must there
fore be abrogated.
The far-reaching Importance of
thorough and complete live stock CEN
sus has been conceded by General Mer-
liam, the commissioner of the twelfth
federal census, who has adopted the
recommendation of the National Live
Stock association and has made it pos
siblc for the world to know with
greater accuracy the extent of value
and numbers of horses, cattle, sheep
and hogs throughout the United
States.
I'll want every association to aid in
furnishing the country a full, com
plete, exact and harmonious compen-
dunn of live stock for the first census
of the twentieth century. Such sta
tistical summary will aid materially
every branch of the live stock industry
and start us right i'm our efforts TO adj
vance the character and quality of live
stock breeding in the United States.
predict that the time is close at hand
when no citizen of this country will
be allowed to stand for gain any ami
NAL not belonging to one of the regis
tered associations, and the turning out
of half-brecds and scrubs will be pro-
libitcd by law under penalty of fine
and iIupr.isonmeIt' -