The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-05
PROSECUTING THE STOCkMEN.

II reports published by Valley couu
~ newspapers are true--and they ar
corroborated by stockmen residing i
that part Of northern Montana-ther
is Il very peculiar state of affairs i
the matter of dipping cattle as reqnire
by the federal and state authorities
1t was recently announced from Cul
bertson that two large cattle outfit
had received clean bills of health an,
will not be required to dip. Will
others 10 the same locality will b
compelled to comply with the dippin,
regulations.
The Culbertsou correspondent say
the small ranchers and other owner,
OF cattle are highly indignant ovel
the unjust discrimina alton shown b,
those in authority. Assuming tina
no scab exists in the herds that have
been exempted from dipping, and tina
they have not been exposed to infec
ton, these ranchers claim that thei,
own cattle are IN the sane condition
In the range system of cattle raising,
animals Of various brands graze side
by side, and 1t Is a most remarkable
proceeding to decide that cattle of a
certain brand in a range herd are Ia
a different condition of health than
cattle of other brands that have been
mixed with them since they first tasted
bunch grass. These protesting stock.
men intimate that brands rather than
the health condition of the animals,
appear to have influence with the in.
spectors.
Every %stockman, large or small, is
entitled to a square deal in this cattle
dipping problem. If his cattle are in.
fected with scab, or have been exposed
to infection, they should be dipped:
but in the absence Of proof that they
are SO Infected or have been exposed,
there should be a halt called by those
responsible for existing quarantine
regulations. The average Montana
stOckman has sufficient unavoidable
tribulatiOns and discouragements
without adding unnecessary trouble
and expense to the burden.
In referring to the cattle dipping
problem some time ago, the River
Press stated that the federal inspector
in charge of this district had declined
to cooperate with the state authorities
In an endeavOr to ascertain if scab
existed 10 districts where it was al.
legged to be prevalent. The federal
official excused himself by claiming
that his authority extended only to
cattle that are about to be shipped out
OF the state, but according to Culbert.
son advices the peculiar state of af-
fairs has been brought about in part
by the action of federal inspectors
who recently visited that section OF
northern Montana.
Many stockmen believe their herds
are Is much entitled to a clean bill of
health a those that have been re.
leased from dipping requirements, and
regard the enforcement of the regula.
tons as nothing short of persecution.
1t puts them to an enormous expense
which they would willingly bear If the
situation justified the demands made
upon them, but they consider them.
selves the victims of oficious inter-
ference by public authorities who have
no certain knowledge that dipping is
necessary.
1t appears to the River Press that
Governor Toole should secure just
ire tine of his stockmen constituents
by demanding q full investigation OF
the scab a originated by his ap.
pointive state officials. AS the ap.
pointees OF the governor, they should
be responsible to him for their official
acts: and as the a%ppointive power,
Governor Toole is responsible to the
people OF Montana for the record of
those he has placed in authority. Let
1t be clearly proved that scab exists
In sections that have been quarau.
tined, and where such proof cannot be
produced it is manifestly unfair to re.
quire cattle owners to submit to the
recently imposed.