Bisbee daily review., 1906-08-18
OFFICERS IN NEW MEXICO FAIL
 IN DUTY
Jointufe Would Place Arizona Cattlemen on Wrong Side
 Quarantine Line.
(Arizona Repuhlicanl

It is mentioned elsewhere in this
 issue 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 al ways been. That is certainly very valid objection for the favorable loca-
 tion of this territory with respect to the quarantine line is worth many thousands of dollars annually to its cattlemen and sheepmen.
 The national quarantine line is a
 movable broken line which extends | across the county east to west. Its greatest ssouthward sweep is from point at tke 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 yeers 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 stockmen 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- l favorable stock conditions. It may be | pointed out that California, Texas and other states are divfGed by the line and 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. F
 Stock legislation in this territory
 has brought about the conditions
 which we now enjoy. Then, of course.
 Il ere 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 stockmen
 haze grown to regard our laws and
 the manner Of thcir execution as profit
 able to them. New Mexico having
 chosen to retain its old laws or ab-
 sence of laws would certainly not per
 init 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
 rigor 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 to
 all its requirements if we were left to ourselves. We could not, however, ex-
 pect to educate the cattlemen and sheepmen of New Mexico who. have
 the votes, to our way of thinking.