The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-10
RAILROAD NEWS.
Live Stock Transit Law Will Be
Enforced Strictly.
Secretary Of Agriculture Issues
Circular Of Warning.
ITS NEW PROVISIONS.
Cattle May Be Kept on Road
Without Food for SO Hours.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Notice has been served on the rail-
roads by the department of agricul-
ture at Washington of the passage Of
the ''2S-hour law This is a law re-
lating TO the shipment of live stock
| by rail or water in interstate COM
merce which was urged by Represen-
tative Rodenberg and was backed by
the railroads and the cattle raising in
terests of the entire west The notice
is couched in legal phraseology, but
the gist of the matter is that it ex-
tends the time during which animals
may be kept in transit without food or
water from Is to Sc hours. This is a
bill that was bitterly fought through
both houses of congress, but was passed
finally and was signed by the president
just as congress was adjourning.
Under the law. railroads, steamships
and all common carriers are prohibited
from shipping stock. horses cattle,
sheep or swine for more than Is hours
at a stretch without unloading them
for at least five hours of feed, rest
and watering. This was the period at
which the law stood for wears but it
was a dead letter and little attention
was paid to it till the secretary of
agriculture, having his attention called
to the abuse commenced to enforce the
law. Even in that case the shippers
and the railroads We're allowed to
plead guilty and escape with the mini
mum fine of 500. The maximum time
of shipment is left at 28 hours but it
secretary of agriculture. the time of
continuous shipment may be continued
to Sc hours. The section of the notice
referring to this provision says:
You may also note that it IS pro-
vided that upon the written request of
the owner or person in custody of the
shipment, the time of confinement may
be extended to 90 hours. This request,
f7nx1 he q ia md nal ?
from any printed bill of Iading. or other
railroad form. The manner of eStimat-
ing the time of confinement is the same
under the new law as it was under the
old. The time during which the ami
mails have been confined without rest,
food or water on connecting roads is
included. The new law does not re-
quire that when the 2S hour period ex-
pires in the night time that sheep shall
be unloaded, but they may be carried
on in a continuing transit to a suitable
place for unloading until daylight, sub
ject to the aforesaid limitation of Sc
hours The exception found in the Old
law. that when animals are carried in
cars, boats or other vessels in which
they can and do have proper food,
space and opportunity to rest, the pro-
visions in regard to taeir being unload d.
ed shall not apply is also found in the
new law.
''As you are probably aware, there
was considerable opposition to the re-
peal OF SoCllOH 45oD-SU, particularly lIOIn
those persons who have Interested
themselves in the humane treatment Of
animals. l have determined to enforce
this law strictly and rigidly, and give
you this notice at this time in order
that you may be able to so arrange
the matter of transportation of live
stock on your lines that violations of
the new law need not occur. At the ex-
piration of 80 days from the date of
this letter, the inspectors of the depart
men will be directed to report all viola
lions of the law and these will be
transmitted to the department Of justice
for institution of suit and the cOllec-
ton of penaHies. Under the old law the
department pursued the plan of allow
ing railroad companies to confess judg-
ment and pay the minimum penalty of
500 per case. This practice Will not be
followed in the enforcement of this
law"
An argument used in favor of the
new law extending the time of shipment
without food or water was that the
railroads and stockraisers said ii was
more humane to starve the cattle eight
hours longer than to subject them to
the additional handling that would be
involved in unloading them and to
loading them again on the cars and
boats AS the law is now framed 1t
would be possible for the shippers of
live stock to get cattle from almost any
point where they are raised to the
slaughter houses without feeding and
watering them and thus they will be
able to save a considerable amount of
money.