Arizona republican., 1906-08-14
IOINTURE AND THE QUARAN
 TINE.

It is mentioned elsewhere in this is sue of The Republican that one of the chief objections of the stockmen of the northern part of the territory to joint statehood. is that jointure would result in placing them on the wrong side of the national quarantine line. where New Mexico is now, and has always been. That is certainly very valid objection for the favorable location of this territory with respect to the quar- antine Inc is worth many thousands of dollars annually to it's cattlemen and sheepmen.
 The national quarantine line is a movable broken line which extends across the county east to west. It's greatest southward sweep is from a point at the northwest corner of New Mexico whence it runs south so as to exclude the whole territory of Ari- zona from quarantine restrictions Passing into California. it turns north ward again and near the middle of the state it veers west to the Pacific. leaving the whole of southern Califor- mia in quarantine. There is no other part of the country west Of the Mis- sissippi along the southern border, ex- cept Arizona on the right side of the line.
 It may be urged against the objec- tions of the stocknen of this territory, that their relation to the line would not necessarily be changed by joint statehood, since the line does not gen orally follow state lines, but is in tended to separate favorable from un- favorable stock conditions. It may be pointed out that California. Texas and other states are divided by the line anG SO why not Arizona the Great?
 The answer to all this is contained in the history of stock conditions in this territory and the development of them which has resulted in our exclu- sion from quarantine restrictions. This exclusion, by the way, is maintained at the price of ceaseless vigilance. The line is moved or changed frequently and if it should appear that we have allowed our favorable conditions to lapse we would be quickly transferred to the other side.
 Stock legislation in this territory has brought about the conditions which we now enjoy. Then, of course, there has been the steady and rigid execution of our stock laws.
 New Mexico could have put itself into the same favorable position but it chose not to do it. Our legislation has not grown up without opposition. At first, much of it was regarded as drastic. But year by year stocllmen have grown to regard our laws and the manner of the,r execution as profitable to them. New Mexico having chosen to retain it's old laws or absence of laws would certainly not permit our stock legislation to have a place in the statutes of the joint state We would inevitably be dragged across to the wrong side of the line.
 National quarantine regulations are becoming more strict year by year and our legislation must also increase in rlgor to keep pace with the require ments of the agricultural department Having learned by experience that it pays to enjoy the favor of the depart ment, we would cheerfully conform tc all it's requirements if We were left tc ourselves. We could not, however. ex- pect to educate the cattIemen ano shecpmen of New Mexico who have the votes, to our way of thinking.