Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-14
CATTLE ON RAILROADS
LETTER OF WARNING SENT BY
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.

More cases are being brought by the De-
partment of Agriculture under what Is
known as the MISREPRESENTATION law"
to enforce the humane treatment of cattle
on the railroads. This law, it will be
recollccted, prohibits the transportation OF
cattle by the railroads for a longer stretch
than twenty eight hours without feed,
water or rest There was strong fight
last summer by the cattle shippers to get
the time extended to thirty-six hours, in
the interests of humanity, as they said 1t
was more humane to rush the cattle through
at one stretch.than to subject them to load
ing and unloading for rest and feed. This
point was carried by the shippers to the
point that the time could be extended to
thirty-six hours on written application by
the shipper to the Department of Az
riculture. But in the present batch
of cases the actual time in transit
has extended to sixty hours. All OF
these cases are being taken up for prose-
cution. There We're sixteen cases against
the Rock Island road alone sent to the De-
partment of Justice today. In these cases
the time of shipment had extended from
thirty-seven to hfty-eight hours, and the
average time was about forty five hours.
A general letter was sent out by the de-
partment today to the railroads and cor
porations engaged in cattle shipping calling
their attention to the violations of the law
regulations, both as to the time in transit
and the accommodations for cattle at
stopping points The circular of the de-
partment was as follows:
by letter from this department, dated
July Z, 1906, the attention of your corpora
ton was called to the provisions of the act
of Congress. approved June ID 1905. en-
titled An act to prevent cruelty to animals
while in transit by railroad or other means
of Transportation from one state or terri
tory or the District of Columbia into or
through another state or territory or the
District of Columbia etc. ga Stat, 607)
In that letter mention was made of the fact
that certain changes had been made in the
law which provided that the limitation of
twenty eight hours might be extended to a
maximum of thirty-six hours upon the
written request of the shipper; that when
the twenty-eight hours expired in the night
time. in the case of sheep. the same might
continue in transit to a suitable place for
unloading, subject to the limitation of thir-
ty-siN hours; and that when live stock
were unloaded for feed. rest and water, the
unloading must be done in a humane man.
ner into properly equipped pens for rest,
water and feeding.
THE department has. to this date. re-
ceived evidence of something over 500 vio-
lations of this law. and about sixty of these
cases have been reported to the Department
of Justice in order that suit may be in
stituted in each for the maximum
penalty of 5000. Nearly 100 more cases will
be transmitted to the Department of JUS
ice IN q lew DAYS. In all or these cases
the offense consisted in combining the live
stock beyond the statutory time, and in
none of these cases has the question been
raised as to whether the cattle, when they
were unloaded. were placed in properly
equipped pens for rest. water and feeding.
1.-The purpose of this letter is to call the
attention of your corporation to the fact
that hereafter the inspectors of the depart
ment will examine the pens in which the
various railroads of the United States en-
gagged in interstate commerce unload live
stock for rest water and feeding. and when
cattle are unloaded into pens which are
not properly equipped, suits will be brought
for the recovery of penalties. The depart
ment is in receipt of numerous reports and
complaints from stockmen and others that
live stock is unloaded into pens, in some
cases belly-deep in mud in others the sup
ply of water is insufficient, or the facilities
are so arranged that the live stock have no
opportunity of drinking. In other cases
the feed is so placed that the majority Of
the cattle cannot reach it.
These conditions can and should be
remedied with the least possible delay, and
the department expects that this action will
be taken. Your acknowledgment of this let
ter will be appreciated