The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-18
THE HAsKiN LETTER
FOOT -AND.MOU DISEASE.
By Frederick ]. Haskin.

While the present epidemic OF
foot-and-mouth disease is potentially
an industrial disaster. the actuas
damage done so far is relatively
small, and there Is every indication
that the prompt action of the federal
and state authorities will check 1t
before 1t has spread much further.
The news that number OF states
have been quarantined. that the
shipment of cattle into Canada has
been prohibited, that beef animals
are being shot down and their car
cases buried at farms and stock
yards all over the country, irressis-
tibly conveys the impression tfat
Tremendous waste and loss are going
1 forward, and that scarcity Of meat
must result. But while the loss, both
to individuals and to the country at
\ large, is not to be overlooked. the
situation really threatens no meat
shortage SO far, and the number OF
cattle that have been killed, or
marked for killing. is a very small
fraction Of our annual production
of live stock.
The only places where the cattle
are really being killed in large num-
bers are the stockyards at Chicago,
New York and Buffalo. Thousands
have been killed for sanitary reasons
at Chicago alone, while 500 were
Icondemned to die at the first inspec-
ttion at the New York yards. Many
4 Eof these, however. though exposed
TO the disease, had not yet developed
symptoms, and they will be used for
food.
AS for the quarantined areas In
various states. many OF them are
very small. and in some cases only a
few animals are affected. The dis
coyery of even single animal that
unmistakably has the disease Is con-
sidered sufficient cause to stop all
shipments of cattle from that state.
Thus, in Kentucky three COWS and a
herd Of pigs were found to be affect
ed; in Massachusetts the disease was
found in three limited areas; in
Rhode Island four or five cases were
found in two localities; and in Della
ware one case was discovered. So,
in most OF the states, except those
where the infection has reached the
great stockyards, the actual number
Of cattle involved is small, and there
is every prospect Of promptly check
ing the epidemic. When it is re-
fiected that the last census Of farm
animals taken by the department of
agriculture in 1913, showed that
there were 5S,737,000 cattle, 60,35S,-
600 swine, and o0,193,000 sheep on
American farms, 1t is readily realized
that the live stock SO far involved
in the present epidemic is q very
small part OF the number in the
country.
There are four principal factors to
be considered in the live stock in
dustry in this country: namely, the
western ranchmen who raise the cat
tie upon the ranges; the middle wes-
tern farmers who take them as
"stockers" and feeders" and fatten
them for the market upon grain; the
great packing concerns, which pre-
pare and distribute the greater part
Of the meat; and last, but most i'm
portant, the public which consumes
it.
4 So far, the public has not suffered
materially as the result of this cpl
demic, and both federal and state Of
ficials say confidently that no further
rise in the already excrbitant price
of meat should be caused by it. In
making this statement, they are Of
course, counting upon checking the
spread of the disease promptly and
completely. If this is done, the act
ual loss Of cattle, and the temporary
arrangement Of shipping conditions,
will not be enough to justify an in
crease in price, although some dealers
will doubtless raise prices in anti
cipation of a scarcity.
One Of the most encouraging fea-
lures of the situation is that the In
lection has not yet gained any foot
hold in he great ranges OF the west.
One trainload of infected cattle was
traced which was destined for Mon
tana, but 1t was located before the
cattle could be unloaded. and prompt
ly brought back. Should the disease
once reach the great ranges where
the cattle run practically wild the
greater part of the year, and where
there are not fences enough to hold
the herds, it would be almost inn
possible to'eradicate it, and the meat
supply would be impaired at its
source.
The chief burden OF the epidemic
has so far fallen upon the farmers
who fatten the range cattle for the
market. This business is carried on
to some extent in almost all OF the
agricultural states. but most extern
sively in the middle west, and 1t is
there that the disease has taken the
strongest hold. The farmers are. OF
course, reimbursed for every animal
that is killed for sanitary reasons,
but the payment is made according
to the value of the stock at the time
1t is killed. and hence a farmer who
has Just bought poor stock for fat
tening purposes may lose his years
profit. In addition he has raised
fodder which he will be unable to
use after the loss of his stock. and
he is unable to market his healthy
animals because OF the embargo ,ip-
on interstate Shinmenta Thine fhn