Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-27
A CRISIS IN THE FOOT-AND-MOUT
DISEASE SITUATION

D., a herd to consume the forage Where
/ the cattle are destroyed they cannot
be replaced under present conditions
] both because the traffic in cattle Is
/ stopped and because IL would be I'M
wise to at once restock the infected
| farms. Accordingly the crops can not
/ be consumed upon these farms as
usual On the other hand, there Is no
market for these forage crops because
Of the danger that they may transmit
the disease As q result of the loss OF
their cattle and the market for their
crops such dairy farmers are losing
heavily. if not facing actual financial
ruin.
Neither does this valuation cover
the accessory expense and inconvenl-
ence incident to the destruction of the
herds In some instances weeks have
elapsed between the date of diagnosis
and slaughter and another long period
before the final disinfection of the
premises. Curing this time strict
quarantine was maintained which
hampered the people upon the farm
and prevented obtaining assistance
for the necessary farm operations
This quarantine has been continued IN
a modified form long after the final
disinfection. Finally the money prom
ised by the government has not yet
been paid and the state has as yet
had no opportunity to provide for pay
ment OF the other half.
However, the foot and mouth dis
ease must be recognized as one OF the
most costly animal scourges. In many
IL L.
appeared in a mild form and conse-
quently many stockmen have not re
allied the seriousness of the outbreak
The fact is that when stripped of ali
eXaggeration IL far exceeds either
or contagious abortion in
the havoc which IL works and the ease
with which Il is spread. It produces
little or no immunity so that ravages
Of the disease occur at short intervals.
With the present narrow margin of
profit in the meat and milk business. |
the carrying of the additional burden
OF foot and mouth disease would be
impossible without a rise in the price
Of both milk and meat. Accordingly I.
II the disease became general the bur I
den of this new state of affairs would I
fall not only upon the farmers, but I
upon the consumers as well. Since
the various elements of cost have now
forced meat TO an almost prohibitive /
price, there is reason to expect that
his added cost would seriously Grip
pie if not practically destroy the fat
stock industry Of this country. There
Is no question, therefore, but that it
would be good business policy TO spend
-astly more than the present struggle
las cost rather than settle down to
cot and mouth disease as an added
burden 10 the animal industry of these
'nited States. Il
The objection 10 quarantine as a
method of combating the disease is
hat II is both difficult and expensive
o maintain, especially when the dis
ase is so extremely contagious. Such
quarantine is now being maintained
d connection with the dairy show cat !
le al Chicago and notwithstanding
he unusual value OF the animals the
Expense has been so great that il is
question whether the owners would
OF have been better of had they &C
epted the appraised value of the cat j
lie in the regular way and submitted q
o slaughter at the beginning of the !
utbreak. On an ordinary dairy farm !
be expense of maintaining an efficient
coupled with the difficulty
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