The Mena weekly star., 1907-01-24
STOCKAENS s GRIEVANCES.
Anauai Address of Murdo MacKen- zie, President American National Livestock Association
TtkTH ANNUAL CONVENTION AT DENVER
More Complaints Of Poor Service by Railroads in 1906 Than Ever Be fere.--suesests that Shippers Keep Speed Record. - Cooperative Commission Company a Success.

Commission Company a Success. Denver. Jan. 23--PresIdent Murdo |dackenxies annual address was the main feature Of the opcaing session f the tenth annual convention of the
 American National Livestock associa- ion wheh assembled at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning in the Broadway theater m this city. A report on Legislative questions" of vital fn- crest to all the members. was made by S. II. Cowan. of Texas. attorney or the association. The delegates
 were welcomed in a felicitious ad- iress by Gov. Henry A. Buchtel. Mir. Mackenzie referred to previous grievances stockmen had against
 the railroads. saying that one of them-exnrbitant freight rates-had
 been corrected by the passage of the
 rate bill but the only way shippers could derive ~ny benefit from the
 measure was to carry their complaints
 of unjust rates to the interstate com
 merce commission without delay. He told of efforts to have the law
 amended which requires that live stock in transit be unloaded for feed and rest every 24 hours and said that only partial success was had. The
 law was changed so that by written request of the shipper stock could be
 held on the cars for 36 hours. Con-
 tinulng Mir. MacKenziea said:
 During 1906 there have been to my knowledge. more complaints of
 poor service by the railroads than n
 any year in the past. and un,e s something is done to compel rail- roads to give reasonable speed linn
 it to perishahle goods in transit, saeh as livestock. 1t will create such To s that ultimately stockmen will have
 10 abandon the business.
 would suggest that all shippers
 who are members of this association
 keep a record of the rate of speed
 made by the railroads of all ship
 ments of stock in transit, and when
 ever it is found that loss has been
 incurred through failure on the part
 of the railroads Co make reasonable
 time. a suit should he instituted for the damage sustained by the shipper
 There is another question which
 has forced itself upon our notice dur
 ing the past year. and ,ha is the ab- solute failure of many of the rail'
 roads to supply cars for the ship ment of stock upon proper notice There are some people who com
 tend that regulating rates by the fed ! eral government retards the building of railroads. but ! would go a steT further: ! would like to see law passed prohibiting the extension oi
 railroad now in operation until first the owners ot such railroad c0ulc show that they had equipped the road already built with cars aad motive 7 power to supply the demands Of tho public. and that lt had sufficient { funds Co equip the railroad which il } intended Co build [ would also lik' to see a law passed. prohibiting rail s road companies from paying any dl vidends on stock. especially watercd stock. until they first could show that their roads were properly equipped Mir. Mckenzie said that the mini mum carload weight of ail ciasses ol ! live stock was too high and shoulf be l adjusted He spoke of The blIl Intro ' duced in the present congress ts amend the meat inspection law adopt 1 ed by the last congress SO as Co make ] the packers pay for Inspection Th' \ objection stockmen had Co Inc pro { posed amendment was that thel would have to stand the cost them { selves, something like szooe eco an !. nually.
 Mir. Mackenzie characterized thf question of the administration of ths forest reserves as one of the most lm !! portant on which the association should take action.
 The Cooperative Live stock Com \ mission company. organized by stock men for the purpose Of fiehilnT thl 4 advance in commission rates. la success. Mir Mackenzie declared Hs was confident lt would be- a lastins \ benefit to the siockmen.
 Mir. Mackenzie said he never cx \ pected again to sea e man in th' agricultural department who would personally pay so much attention e the livestock Interests of the west al 5 Secretary Wilson.