The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-07-03
DR.. RAMSAY
ON CATTLE

DR.. R. A. Ramsay, Associate Chief.
Inspection Division, Bureau of Ami
NAL Industry. Washington, D. c., is
in New Mexico comforting with the
local bureau men and sanitary Off
Gals. In regard to the regulations
governing the Interstate movement
of cattle DR.. Ramsay says:
About o Il Or five years ago it be-
came evident to the Department that
scabies or mange existed quite extern
lively IN his country. especially in
some of the states west of the Mis-
souri, river. There were reports from
government inspectors at English
ports that American cattle had landed
abroad affected with this contagious
disease. Regulations tending toward
the control and eradication of the dis
ease were promulgated, and the areas
where cattle scabies was known to
exist to the greatest extent We're plac-
ed under Federal quarantine. These
regulations provided for the inspec-
ton by government inspectors of ali
cattle moving interstate, the treat
ment of all cattle known to be infec-
ed with or exposed to the disease,
as well as the proper cleaning OF
yards, cars, or vessels having contain
ed cattle affected with scabies.
After a trial of the enforcement OF
these regulations, they were found
ways to the conditions M to the
manner of handling cattle in the
states under quarantine. For instance,
owing TO heavy shipments II was
found to be ~impracticable or impossi-
BILE for the employees of the Bureau
to inspect all cattle at the time OF
shipment from points of origin with
out causing delay and inconvenience
to shippers and railway companies.
Such delays and Inconvenience Were
frequently magnified by the shippers
and taken advantage of by the trans,
p~ortation companies. The shippers al
wanted to reach market IN the same
day of the week; the railways indi
Gated their Inability to furnish the
ears required to move the cattle. and
in some instances showed a DISPOSE
ton 10 unload their troubles on the
Bureau by informing shippers that il
was Impossible to procure inspection
for that day, or for many days. Such
| statements by railway agents brought
many requests for additional inspect
ors, while in reality no shipment
would be delayed more than one OIL
two days awaiting inspection.
Then, too, it was discovered that
many cattle shippers We're as expert
IN detecting scabies in cattle as were
the Bureau inspectors, and as a re
suit all the infected animals were
frequently cut out from the herd of
fered for shipment, and the inspect
or being unable to find disease upon
the arrival of the cattle at the ship
ping station, he had no other alterla
tive under the regulations than tt
issue a certificate for the interstate
movement of the cattle as free from
disease, when in reality they were q
part of an infected herd, and there
having been with visibly diseased
animals. AS a resuTt of this proceed
ure scabies would develop at a latel
date in feed lots in some other state
The new owner or his banker would
then make vigorous complaint as tC
his having purchased diseased cattle
accompanied by a Bureau certificate
stating tina they were free from dis
ease.
IA order that the transportation
companies might assume their owl
responsibility for any shortage o
cars or motive power to handle the
shipments as well as to require thu
cattle raisers TO treat the diseas,
herds from year to year, a change il
the regulations of the Department
was considered desirable and yer.
necessary, that some progress Nigh
be made in actually ~eradicating cat
tie scabies. Accordingly, on April ID
1907, the present regulations (B. A
1. Order 143) became effective, ant
they are still in effect.
These regulations provide for IL
inspection and certification by Bureau
inspectors of all cattle moving inter
state to points other than market Gel
ters for purposes other than immed
late slaughter from the area quaran
tined for cattle scabies. Should it b,
known Il the inspector that scabie
exists in a herd from which the eat
tie originate he must refuse to furn
ish a certificate even if Infection i
not found in the cattle presented an,
intended for feeding or breeding pun
poses in another state, until the,
have been properly treated under BIZ
reau supervision
The present regulations do not pre-
lido for Tho ipcnoo+iop IF oil aa+4f