East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-10
SHIPPING LAW IS
BEFORE CONGRESS
HUMANE SOCIETY DEMANDS
MERCY FOR STOCK.
StoclSmen Say Feeding In Muddy Pens
Is Worse Than Continuing on the
JOurney--Phases of the 28-Hour
Law Are Being Brought Out by
Both Sides.

Washington, April 10.-There Is
prospect of a lively debate before con-
gress disposes of the bill to amend
the 2S-hour stock shipping bill. The
Humane society and allied interests
on the one side oppose all legislation
looking to an extension OF the time Of
shipment; western senators and rep
resentatives are practically q unit in
favor Of q more elastic law than that
now on the statute books.
The testimony before the house
committee on interstate commerce
was decidedly conflicting and as a re-
suit of protracted hearings, the COM
mittee reported compromise bill
that Is neither suitable to western
men nor to the Humane society. That
substitute is therefore destined to be
kicked about pretty generally before
1t is whipped into shape.
The proposition of the president Of
the American Humane association,
that in order to prevent the present
cruel circumstances surrounding the
frequent loading and unloading the
speed OF the livestock trains should
be doubled, is not feasible.
The speed of the freight train does
not represent the speed at which they
travel between two stations. 1t rep
resents the average speed between
starting and stopping point. 1t must
be self-evident to every person who
has ever travelled upon freight train
or. for that matter, even upon a pas
senger. train, that doubling the speed
of the freight train while in motion
would be to very greatly increase the
cruelty to the animals.
Cattle which can readily stand on
their feet with an actual speed of 80
miles an hour would probably have
many of their number thrown down
and all of them bruised and fright
ened by an increase Of speed to so or
60 miles an hour.
The committee says: 1--WE think
that upon further reflection and fuller
investigation the Humane association
will not urge that the speed Of live
stock trains be doubled in the interest
of human treatment. Nothing is more
inhumane than the running of live
speed through the mountains and
around curves, where cattle would be
thrown against the sides of the cars
and jammed against each other. in
constant terror of losing their foot
hold, as we'll as with a very great
tendency to fall and be trampled
upon.
with the enforcement of the 2S-
hour law II becomes necessary in most
cases to unload the stock between the
various markets at points where no
market is had and where nothing oc-
ours except the unloading, feeding,
watering, resting and reloading
Where the unloading occurs at a
regular market, the facilities are
good, the pens are kept In fair order,
but where no market exists the pens
are often insufficient In number and
In very bad condition.
1T is shown conclusively to your
committee that in many instances
and at certain seasons of the year
stock is unloaded into pens where
they sink down deep in mire and
filth; without any possibility of rest;
that often stock will be unloaded
from cars which are fairly comforta-
BILE into weather such as makes the
unloading the height of inhumanity.
"It is claimed by the stockmen that
the unloading and reloading of cat
tie and other stock Is much more
cruel than keeping them in the cars
for a little longer period, until the
final unloading can be had at a stock