Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-17
STOCkMEN IN ACTIVE WORK
Executive Committees Report Adopted at
Salt Lake City Convention.
PROVIDES FOR INCREASED MEMBERSHIP
board Also wants $4,000 Raised by
Private Subscription as Emergency
Fund-Papers, Resolutions
and pays Discussions.

Fund-Papers, Revolutions
and Days Discussions.
SALT LAKE, Utah, Jan. 16-At the open
ing session OF the National Live Stock as
sociation convention this morning the re-
Port OF the executive committee was read
and adopted. Among other things II pro-
yides for an increased membership In the
association and for the raising OF SlO,oOo
by private subscription as an emergency
fund
Secretary Charles f. Martin submitted
his report TO the executive committee,
showing what has been done during the
last year and making recommendations re-
garding future work. He said:
The vexed question of inspection Is at this
time agitating the stOckmen of the west
probably more than any other subject. The
present system OF inspecting live stock
In transit at every state line Is not only
unjust but unnecessary. II appears tnat @
the proper way to operate protective meas
ures is by a system of federal inspection
eaving to the state sanitary board the
duty of regulating diseases within their
states When stock is loaded In one state
for some point in another, IL shoul1 DC
inspected by government Inspector WHOSE
bill Of health should carry the shipment
across any number of state lines without
further examination. The federal govern
ment is In favor of this inspection
OppOsitiOn's Powerful Lobby.
You are dcsrous of accomplishing tho
defeat of the Grout bill now before the
senate the adoption OF an amendment to
the twenty-elght-h hour law and the inter-
state act, an order or law providing iof an
annual classified census Of live stock, the
substitution of federal for state inspection
and many other matters of vital Importance
TO the industry. II Is well enough To meet
In annual session, discuss and adopt rcso-
lutiOns and mall copies to congressman,
but unless this Is followed by the per
sonal efforts OF bright and influential men.
your work accomplishcs little as against
the powerful lobby of the opposition. Should
the Grout bill become an operative law, 1t
means a loss to the stock industry Of the
nation of at least $50 coo, 600 annually. The
expense OF few thousand dollars by an
organization OF this magnitude spent to
defeat a proposition OF this character would
be but II bagatelle as compared with the
loss you Will sustain should you neglect
to provide proper means to secure It's de-
feat The same argument viii! apply to
other legislative affairs you now have In
hand.
The membership of the association has
steadily increased during the year. II now
numbers 40 organizations, representing H.
900 individuals engaged In some one OF
the many branches OF the live stock in
dustry. over 100000 head of live stock
and an investment of about $500, 100000.
On motion OF President Springer. C. A..
McGrath, Charles Mccarthy and J. d..
Forsha OF Canada were admitted to seats.
National Live stock Census.
l.. G. Powers OF Washington, d. c.. ad-
dressed the convention on "our National
Wealth in Live Stock" He said:
The census of domestic animals in cities
and towns shows that there are at the
present time outside of the farms and
ranges 2.s33.s7 horses 1872 lis mules and II,
$40 asses. The total of these three classes
of useful animals In cities and towns is
3OS, ,s62. This is less than one-iifth of the
total number OF these animals nal at the pres,
horses, mules and asses outnumber those
of all the same kind on the farms of most
of the European countries Austria at the
last census had on Its farms l,6O6 l49 horses
and mules, or only one-tenth of those on
our farms and one-half those in our cities
it's farms. This IL one-eighth of our farm
horses and only two-thirds Of those in our
numbered 1866 $50, while those IN the Ger
man empire only make a total of 4,O3s, 1876
OF farm horses of any nation OF Europe
with the exception of Russia, and yet its
supply. OF such animals is only one-fourth
that of this country.
why We supply Great Britain.
A moments consideration OF these figures
brings out very forcibly the reason Great
Britain purchases horses and mules In the
United States for the South African war
It also explains the reason Great Britain
finds so much difficulty in supplying the
animals on which to mount any large mum
her of soldiers. To have taken all the
horses and mules needed in this war from
her own farms would have so crippled hei
whole industrial life OF the nation. 1t would
In IA little more than a year have reduced
the available work animals on the farms Il
three -fourths of their normal number Be
fore this limit could be reached England
would yield to the Boer demands rather
than suffer the resulting calamity tina
would follow the collapse of her agricu
ture at home. But what England could not
have done without revolution on hei
farms the United States has been able tC
do with ease; We have sent, or are send
ing. what will be a total of nearly, If no
quite, 250,Oo0 horses and mules, and thes,
shipments have affected our prices to only
very small degree.
Not only have we been supplying Grea
Britain with war animals but this countr!
secured her war horses and mules for ship
ment to China 1t Is cheaper and easier
and It causes less economic disturbance t,
her industries to purchase them here thar
ON the farms of the fatherland. The actua
and relative number OF our farm horses ex
plains why these countries In such an emer
gency as the present look to the stock
growers of this nation for the means o
army transportation.
superiority of Mounted Soldiers.
Permit me In this connection to call you
attention to IA factor of our national mill
tary power to which you will find but fey
published references. The war I'm Soutl
Africa has demonstrated the superiOrit
of a mounted over an unmounted soldier
One mounted man Is worth In South Africa
and In general, in modern warfare, thre
unmounted ones, In war, therefore tn
horses Is thrice. prepared for the conflict
other things being the same. This describe
the situation of the United States from
military standpoint. Our enormous stoc
OF horses and mules is n means of nations
defense that must be ranked I'm effective
ness along with the trained army of goo
soldiers and a supply or the best moder
The American horse and mule are to b
considered not only in this possible relatio
to conflict on the field of carnage; th,