Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-01-29
MEETING CATTLE
SANITARY BOARD
Palace Hotel Scene
Biennial Gather
ing in Capital.
DISCUSS NEW LEGISLATION
Want Undesirable Features
of Estray Law Eliminated
Secretary Barnes Talks

tie Sanitary Board was held yester
day and today in Santa Fe. Captain
f. G. Austen of Las Vegas presided
and Will G. Barnes of Las Vegas, was
at his post as secretary. The men,
bers present were w. II. Jack, of Sill
yer City; Robert Martin, of Cuchillo
c. L. Ballard, of Roswell, and w. c..
Mcdonald, Of Carrizozo.
1t has been the custom OF the
board to have meetings of this kind
in the Capital biennially during the
sessions of the Legislative Assembly
for the purpose Of advocating legis-
lation favorable to the cattle inter-
ests of the Territory. At the present
sessions of the organization several
measures have been considered for
proposed legislation, the principal one
of which is for revision of the law
governing estray cattle and horses
Estray Law Cumbersome and Unsat.
isfactory.
"The present estray law Is nnsatls-
factory" Mr.. Barnes said in discuss.
ing the matter. ut is a very cum
bersome and expensive method of dis
posing of the stray cattle and horses
found on the ranges and few of the
stockmen avail themselves of it. II
takes so long before the finder can
acquire legal possession and when
he does the expenses of advertising
and fees connected with the various
officials eat up about all that the ami
NAL is worth and there is nothing left
for the rightful owner if he ever
turns up. The board feels that this
law ought to be amended and favors
the enactment of an estray law SINH
lar to the one in force in Colorado
which Is very satisfactory to all con
cerned. Thousands of stray animals
are on the ranges in various parts OF
the Territory. They belong to some
body but owing to this expensive sys-
TEN that must be followed few under.
take to find ont who are The owners
OF these strays.
"The New Mexico stock laws as
rule are very satisfactory. 1t Is
more a ease of enforcing what we
have than asking for new laws as far
as the board goes. AS | said before
the principal fault We have to find
and which we are trying to have rec
tilted Is in the estray law. There are
few other measures under consider
alton but they are of only minor i'm
portance.
Live Stock in Excellent Condition.
GAIL kinds of live stock are In
splendid condition throughout New
Mexico Cattle and sheep are in
unusually good shape. In fact
doubt if there has been a winter II
twenty years when the live stock gen
orally has wintered as we'll as thll
winter. There was great anxiety early
| in the fall among the stock men les
the cold snaps then would injure tht
grass but these fears were dispellet
as the winter progressed. There i!
only one part of the Territory where
| the cattle have not been doing wei
and that is in the lower end of tn,
Rio Grande Valley. Reports from ou
inspectors there say that the cattle
are not in as good shape as else
where.
Spring Demand for Steers Encour
aging.
indications point to good deman
for young steers in the spring. At tn
convention of the American Nationa
Live Stock Association which wa
held last week in Denver there wa
feeling not only among sellers, bu
among prospective purchasers tha
prices of cattle for spring deliver
would be at least dollar per hea
higher than last year There wer
several sales made of New Mexic
cattle for spring delivery during thi
meeting in Denver. In all cases tn
prices were above those for the co,
responding time last year.
Compiling Monster Brand Book.
"The office force is hard at wor
now getting out copy for the ne'
brand book of the Territorial Cattl
Sanitary Board. 1t will contain $500
brands, every one recorded up to JaI
uary /, 1907 1t has been one of tn
biggest tasks the board has undel
taken because getting out the cop
for this brand book required an Ell
tire re-arrangement of the records {
the Office that the brands might b
fixed alphabetically throughout tn
Territory instead Of by counties a
| heretofore.
Two Conventions at Denver.
"The convention just closed of tn
American National Live Stock Asst
citation was by far the most satisfat
tory from the standpoint Of result
that I ever attended since the nj
tional society was organized ten year
ago. The Dry Farming conventio
which followed it was equally as SUI
cessful and showed that the Who'll
West which is known practically a
the Great American Desert was inteI
ested in the dry farming theory. S
much interest was evinced and tn
speakers were kept on the floor $
long answering questions that it wa
found necessary to hold the conver
\ tion one day longer than originally ii
tended. 1t was really very enthl