The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-27
TO STOP HOLD up
National Live Stock Association
Makes Test Case.
viii Try to Knock Out State
Inspection Law.
CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
From Federal Authorities Is
Deemed Sufficient.
Double Inspection Has Cost
StOckmen Much Money.

Chicago, June 27.-In an interview to-
day with John W. Springer, of Denver,
Col, who is president of the National
Livestock association, he declared that
it was the intention of his organization
to test the constitutionality of the Col
orado state law which requires state
inspection of livestock. notwithstand-
ing a clean bill of health had been
granted by the federal authorities. The
case is that of Ed H. Reid. of the
Flato Commission company, of Omaha,
who was arrested yesterday in Denver.
charged with taking into the state 81
cars of cattle which had not been in
spected by a Colorado official. President
Springer made the following statement
today:
THE report coming from Denver that
Mr. Ed H Reid, of the Flato Commits
sion company, of Omaha, had been ar
rested on the 26th of June. in the Office
of the National Livestock association.
in Denver, charged with illegally
bringing 27 cars of cattle into the state
of Colorado without paying the inspec-
ton fee demanded by the state, of two
cents per head, is a fact. The live
stock men of the United States have
determined to test the cOnstitutionality
of this Colorado law, insisting that
where they have a clean bill of health
granted their cattle by the federal
authorities, that this should entitle
their cattle to go into any state of the
union, the state statutes to the contra
ry Notwithstanding. The Stockmen have
been held up by these state boards OF
inspection, so-called, for years, and
hundreds of thousands of dollars an
nually have been taken from the stock
raisers and we now propose to have it
stopped. An application will be made
today to Judge Hallett, of the United
States district court. for Mr. Reid's re-
lease on a writ of habeas corpus.
Should the court deny this writ an ap-
peal will at oI.ce be taken to the su-
preme court of the United States, and
we expect a decision in a very short
time. This case will be watched with
intense interest by every livestock man
in the United States; and the officers
of the National Livestock association
have been assured from quarters of the
country of the unanimous support of
the livestock interests in settling, once
for all. the question as to whether fed
eral inspection does not supersede state
inspection.
I'VE realize it is a great question, -
said President Springer, "and of much
more far reaching interest than is ap-
parent to the casual observer. The live
stock associa ton, in this case, has the
support of all the great livestock or
ganizatiOns of the country"
Ralph Talbot, of Denver, one of the
ablest attorneys in Colorado, is the
Colorado counsel of the National Live
stock association, and he will be as
sisted in the supreme court or the Uni
ted States, by Judge William n. Spring.
er, the local counsel of the association
in Washington.
EABEAS CORPUS WRIT GRANTED.
Denver, Colo, June 27.@Judge Halett,
OF the United States district court, to-
day granted a writ of habeas corpus in
the case of Edward H. Reid a cattle
shipper, of Omaha. who was convicted
in the district court of ArapahOe county
yesterday of having violated the Colorado
statutes by shipping cattle into this state
of health from a state inspector, and was
sentenced to six months imprisonment
in the county jail. Reid refused to pay
a state inspection fee after having re-
ceived a clean bill of health from the
federal inspector, to enable the National
Live Stock association to test the validity
OF the Col orado law requiring the inspec-
ton of cattle shipped through the state
MessrS. Talbot and DenisOn. on behalf of
the association made the application to
the United States district court today for
a writ of habeaS corpus for Reid. At
t0rney General Post appeared on behalf of
the state The writ was made returnab BILE
on Saturday next at 10 o'clock. Should
the United States district court sustain
the decision of the state court the Ma
tional Live Stock association will appeal
the case to the supreme court of the