The Tupelo journal., 1917-11-02
PROCLAMATION BY THE GOV
ERNOR.
To the People of Mississippi:

vi IIdDN ySoAo
raisers were confronted with a most
serious problem in the raising and
shipping of cattle. Our state was
infested with cattle tick, producing
Texas Fever, and most of our cattle
were suffering from this disease. The
Federal Government placed quaran-
tine restrictions ove the shipment of
cattle to other states for fear that
the cattle herein might become in
fected. This placed Mississippi in a
most unenviable position as regards
cattle raising and was responsible for
our state being most backward in
this industry. In addition to these
restrictions cattle so infected We're
lean, stunted and not desirable as
beef cattle and cattle owners in 9TH
er states who might have contemplat-
ed moving here and bringing in i'm
proved blooded cattle were deferred
bv the fear that their cattle would
become infected. This acted as a de-
terrent to the improving of the grade
of our cattle and a large increase in
our herds.
Feeling that this situation must be
met and overcome, the United States
Bureau of Animal Industry assembl-
ed it's largest force and most com-
petent men, at a cost of many thous-
ands of dollars to cooperate with the
Mississippi Live Stock Sanitary Board
in e~radicating the Texas cattle dis
ease parasite known as the Texas
Fever tick.
The splendid work of the United
States Bureau of Animal Industry,
in assisting our State Live Stock
Sanitary Board has in the past sever
al years caused the ticks to be
eradicated from several counties and
the restrictions on the movement of
cattle removed, and during the last
eighteen months, or the term of the
present administration, the state Of
acials through their Live Stock San
itarv Board and the United States
Bureau of Animal Industry, all work
ing under the provisions Of the State
Wide Tick Eradication Law of 1916,
known as Chapter 167, have put
forth a gigantic and supreme effort
to eradicate Texas Fever ticks that
the Federal Quarantine against cattle
of this state might be abolished and
that the cattle industry might flour
ish and prosper.
More than 5000 dipping watts
have been constantly in use and 526
qualified inspectors have carefully
supervised the dipping of 1O,129,757
cattle which have passed through
them during the year 1917, or since
the Statewide tick eradication law
has been in force.
So thoroughly has this work been
systematized and so carefully execut-
ed that the cattle fever tick has viz
tually been e~radicated, and wha few
there vet remains of them are under
proper control and will Don be de-
stroyed in the process of dipping.
On account of the splendid work
that has been accomplished during
the term of the present admlnlstra-
ton, the Federal Government has
seen fit to issue an order abollshlng
the existing quarantine against every
county and every acre of land IN
this great state on December 1st,
1917, in order that our cattle may no
longer be Disseminated against or
their owners suffer from the results
Of a limited available market.
Let us all be grateful because of
the splendid assistance of the United
States Bureau of Animal Industry in
furnishing both men and money to
assist our state in this great under
taking, and because of their efforts
and splendid spirit of cooperation,
together with that of our wv of
fcials which has resulted in the
emancipation of u cattle from
quarantine restrictions On the above
date, for that date will mark an
epoch in our state as a great cattle
raising state, putting US in a position
to be what nature intended it should
be, one of the greater cattle raising
state in the nation, and feeling that
this event should be appropriately
celebrated by every county in n
state;
Now, therefore, l, Theo. G.. Bilbo,
Governor of the State. of Mississippi,
do issue this my Proclamation desig-
mating Saturday, December First,
1917, as a day to be celebrated
throughout the entire state. | would
call the attention of our people to
the Importance of this event and