Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-01
100000 IS ASKED
To FIGHT FOOT AND
MOUTH AFFECTION
BY FREDERIC j. HASkIN


WASHINGTON. - The president
has asked congress for a special ap-
preparation OF 81 100000 to fight
| the foot and mouth disease. so
large a sum might seem eXtraVa-
| CANT were it not remembered that
| this malady which attacks cloVen-
! hOofed animals and sometimes hui.
| man beings causes damage many
| times that sum if not checked.
| In tn last six months, the people
| Of the United Kingdom have lost
| approximately $40 900, 600 from its
ravages. For two years the cattle
| trade between Great Britain and thc
| United States has been entirely sus
| pended as Il precautionary measure
! to prevent Introduction Of the dis
ease from British shores to this
country The famous Jersey and
| Guernsey cattle from the Channel
| islands are permitted to enter the
United States, but not if first ship
| ped to a British port AS there is
| a strong demand for these blooded
| animals, they are brought from the
Channel islands in small steamers
and transshipped onto the trans-At-
lantic freighters practically in the
open sea.
outbreak in California
The reason for the presidents ac-
ton is that an outbreak Of the dis
ease has been reported from Cali
fornia. The animals of nine coun-
ties numbering $500 cattle, $500
hogs and some sheep and goats have
been found infected and rigid fed
eral quarantines have been laid
against these Jurisdictions.
ILNx i !
the utmost care in maintaining quar-
antines, the disease often spreads in
unaccourtable fashion. Therefore,
the president believes that every pre-.
caution should be taken to prevent
outside infection. In 1911 there was
serious outbreak Of foot and mouth
disease in Germany. 1t affected
about 100000 animals out of a
total of about 50,00O,O00. If the
disease should reach the same cpl
demic proportions in this country
some $4,000, 900 animals would be af-
fected.
The only method the federal gov
eminent has adopted for coping with
the disease is the immediate slaugh-
ter of all infected creatures as soon
as the disease makes its appearance.
1t Will readily be seen that to
slaughter 23,000,000 animals would
cost tremendous amount of money.
Owners Are Reimbursed
The government reimburses the
owners of infected animals which
are slaughtered. Under the law the
animals are appraised on the basis
Of their meat or dairy value. In
the case Of blooded stock three times
fl,~
This arrangement has caused a great
deal of controversy and there are
interesting arguments on both sides
of the question.
Owners of blooded stock say the
payment system is unfair. The
owner of a $4,000 pedigreed bull
thinks he has q severe grievance
when the. bull upon becoming infect
ed, is killed by the government and
he receives only $500 or $500 in re-
turn. One result Of this system is
that il d stOckman discovers mani
festations Of the disease in his high.
priced herd he will instantly sell his
animals to prevent having them
killed by the government. Such a
course spreads the disease and multi.
plies the ultimate damage, but the
Stockman says in his defense that
he has his whole fortune tied up in
his high-priced stock and cannot af.
ford to have the government kill the
animals at meat or dairy indemnity
figures.
On the other side it is pointed out
that if the government allowed high
prices for blooded stock great deal
of fraud would be practiced. Own
ers who wanted to get rid of their
animals at a time when the mark ct
was poor might go so far as to inn
port the disease, infect their blooded
stock and collect the top figure in
demnity.
The problem is conceded to be an
intricate one and has resulted in
litigation in many cases. The last
great epidemic of foot and mouth
disease in the United States was in
1914 when losses amounted to more
than 100000. Stockmen in Illi-
nois got out injunctions to prevent
the governments killing their cat.
tie, but the governor of the state
ordered the slaughter to proceed
and the cases to be settled after
wards. The cases ultimately were
dropped. The federal government
takes the position that the disease is
so serious that when it breaks out
it must be handled with military
rigor.
Under the law the states are
supposed to pay half the cost Of
the animals slaughtered under the
direction of the federal authorities.
the federal government paying the
remainder
Infection From Scotland
The first outbreak OF foot and
mouth disease in the United States
was in 1870 when cattle imported
from Scotland resulted in the infec-
ton in New England and New York
state. In 1880 there was another
outbreak and later ones came in
1884 and 1902. In 1908 the disease
swept through Michigan. New York,
Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Each epidemic seems to have been
a little worse than the last. but
none of the earlier epidemics com.
pared to that in 1914 when % states
and the District of Columbia were
infected. The meat supply OF the
country was seriously interrupted
as those states were quarantined.
Even the great Chicago stockyards
were closed. The animals slaugh-
tered by the government during the
epidemic included 1900 cattle, S5,-
600 swine, 10000 sheep and deer.
One of the difficulties about fight
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