Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1915 — FOOT AND MOUTH HUMBUG AGAIN [ARTICLE]

FOOT AND MOUTH HUMBUG AGAIN

Opinions Differ as to Methods Used for Eradicating Disease. The Democrat received the following clipping from the Indiana Farmer* through the malls Saturday, with a notation that we “please publish.” No name was signed to the request, but we must Infer ttnrWt—was sent by some reader who endorses the wholesale butchering of “exposed” stock that was pursued until the past few weeks in “stamping out” this ailment. We copy the article as requested, and below It publish an article from Monday’s Chicago Herald that reads different. Arjd we might add that Indiana stockmen have alsb taken the matter up with our state legislature in an effort to relieve conditions here.

The Indiana Farmer editorial says: The foot and month disease has ceased to be a topic of general discussion. The fact is that it has. practically been stamped out, an accom plishment that was thought impossible in such a short time judging from what is known of this dangerous disease in European countries where it has been known and where outbreaks have occurred for hundreds of years. Although the recent outbreak in the live stock producing center of this country has resulted in great losses of both money and valuable breeding stock, we should congratulate ourselves that it was not more serious, and should join in our praise for those who did such splendid Work in stamping out the plague. We c*n enter upon the new year with confidence in the future of the live stock industry and with an assurance that our interests are being guarded by federal and state authorities. After all only a very small per cent of the tQtal number of farms suffered loss and the radical steps taken and the wide quarantines that were made were in most cases preventive maesures to make sure that Jhe disease would not spread. With; the release and modifying of quarantines stock raisers .will proceed with renewed energy and with more confidence than ever before. The outbreak has taught us in a most forceful way the utter dependence of our country upon this great industry and the confidence that we can place in the fedbral and state authorities to come to our assistance in a time of need. A With, this in view stock raisers should have high hopes for the future and start the year 1915 with a brighter outlook than ever 'before. " The Chicago Herald article is as follows: Legal batteries will be unmasked this morning in an attempt to prevent the further slaughter of animals in Illinois that are infected by or exposed to the hoof and mouth disease. This move is being made while farmers are arming their employes to resist the state’s icattle killers. A bill for a preliminary injunction will be filed before one of the

three sitting judges in Geneva, Kane county, asking that State Veterinarian O. E. Dyson and his assistants be enjoined from killing forty cows at the state training school for girls in Geneva. The herd has been condemned and is scheduled to be killed tomorrow. The. bill will be filed in behalf of Wallace Norton, a farmer and taxpayer residing near Geneva. It will charge: That the law creating the office of state veterarian is unconstitutional. That it is not effective for the purposes for which it was intended. That the hoof and mouth disease can be handled properly and effectively without slaughtering animals. J That if the killing of all infected and exposed cattle is continued it will create a burden on the state far beyond the power of taxation given under the constitution.

The bill, which will be filed by Attorney Charles J. O’Connor was prepared last night following an unsuccessful appeal to both the Department of Agriculture in Washington, through Representative Ira C. Copley, and to the state board of administration.

In his fight to restrain the state veterinarian and his assistants from the further slaughter of cattle, sheep and swine— which in the two months the plague has raged in this state has cost more than sl,ooo,ooo—Mr Norton will be backed by a number of dairymen and cattle owners of the box river district. cattle at the girls’ home are referred to in his petition whatever decision is returned also will affect all other herds in the state. A preliminary injunction will result in the suspension of all further slaughter until the merits of the cases are decided.

enn We - hold that the case s of the tli PJ lze cattle now interned at the Hawthorne race track, which have recovered from the disease, show conclusively that the is unnecessary,” said Mr. O’Connor. ‘I nder general statistics it is shown that the plague mortality is lass than 3 per cent. In 189 8 a herd of fine cattle in Boston contracted dlS l aSe . and neither they nor their offspring afterward showed any ill effects.

“The situation in Illinois has reached the breaking point. While we ?inn °L Wi K h - to be Placed in the Portion of being antagonistic to the state veterinarian, we believe the law ' providing for his office is unconstitutional and that he is acting m ° U - r L sht - We also believe the law is ineffective. dp '?l® n alao charge that a great' burden will be placed on taxpayers if this slaughter policy is continued It already has created a great burden and win bri ng about a debt far in excess of the taxing Powengiven under the constitution." ’ f ~ le . ral and state inspectors ~ teir official pocketbooks empty Posing the buck” as to responsibil<iiirM- agUe L alrea( A’ of two months' duration, has reached a crisis in iiiinois tvhich portends trouble. be < fiS a « Ctl i° n ° ther than the bill to be hied today to prevent the slaughter ot herds of infected or suspected eS? e *nr" 7 h ? S been taken by sev d “el«s’ a » n M ra ,b n ? rS taVe arme ' l lh '“- aqd their employes and nt the point of Shotgups have preventLr m :" S,,^ ra ,rom anSotS S SeS , diseased cattle the farm! an ™ ala have been left on that thev ’ ° Wne ? beins warned tion for L an expect no compensaNo nttJmM s he u ln eVent of death, so mka ItS haVe been made forcibly to take possession of the farms kill tho live stock and fumigate ’ on^S^nUr 68 ha J e 'been established been Ukhi nAn little 'beed has oeen taken of the restrictions. me acuteness of. the situation dSkt lar t h r ? n h aistrict—the hotbed of the disease in the state and the center of the

butter market—has . become so apparent to the Department of Agriculture that a special expert of the bureau of animal industry is to be sent to that region to see if it is not possible to stop the slaughter of prize milk herds. With the removal yesterday afternoon of the. last carload of prize cattle exhibited at the national dairy show frojn the isolation hospital at the stockyards to the hew quarters at the Hawthorne race track it leaked out that the lives of the 800 animals, valued at approximately $2,500,000, were saved only through the employment of armed guards. J When the cattle, the pick of the dairy herds of the country, were quarantined about Nov. 1 and a federal order was issued to kill them, their owners pleaded that they be permitted to hold the animals in strict quarantine and attempt to cure them.

They argued that, as persons of wealth were among those owning the cattle, they would be able to finance such a program. The answer of the government was a flat refusal; No sooner had the order been reiterated that the cattle should be slaughtered than the owners gave weapons to the eighty attendants caring for the animals. Then they padlocked every entrance and stationed a cordon of armed Pinkerton detectives about the place. For two months during whica the cattle were housed in the stockyards building armed resistence to the slaughter order was maintained. These isolation tactics cost the owners about $60,000. Rent of the building alone was $216 a day and hay cost S4Q a ton. Wtihout the use of any medicine the cattle have, to all appearances, recovered. Four were voluntarily kiHed because of garget—a disease that hardens the udder— -and two valuable bulls reacting on the tuberculosis test also were put to.death. Colonel George Fabyan of Riverbank protested without avail to both the state board of administration and to Representative Ira C. Copley herd llßl^ll6 slau^hter of the Geneva His telegram to each read: “In view of the result of tak- ' ing care of . the prize cattle affected with the hoof and mouth disease at the stockyards and the absolute inability of the authorities to exterminate the germ, the fact it is spreading and will continue to spread makes it manifest that the indiscriminate destruction of property and the slaughter of cattle should be stopped at once unless your constituents are going to become vegetarians and the cow join the ranks of the buffalo a.s a curiosity. “Can you not take: itaimediate steps to prevent the slaughter of the cows at the Geneva State Training School for Girls, scheduled for next Tuesday? It is imperative that some intelligent action be taken at once.” The reply from the state board of administration was signed by Frank u. whipp, fiscal supervisor, it read“Your telegram to President Kern in regard to hoof and mouth disease of cattle at state training school Jbr girls received. Dr. o. E. Dyson, state veterinarian, advises the board in regard to the matter as follows: Looking to the eradication of toot and mouth disease, the policy of the state and federal governments is to slaughter all affected and exposed animals. “ ‘This has proved to be the only successful method ever developed. 1

The success of the live stock interests through the United States depends upon an restricted market. This cannot be had unless the contagion of foot and mouth disease is completely destroyed. The state and federal authorities expect to slaughter the cattle on next Tuesday.’ ”, The answer received from Representative Copley placed all responsibility for the slaughter of animals in tnis state upon the shoulders of the state authorities. It read: “Your wire received. Federal authorities do not order slaughter of herds, but merely recommend it and the actual orders are issued by state officials' I have conferred with the Agricultural Department this week, and the secretary is going to send one of its most expert men to your district to aid in installing a most regid quarantine in hope that wholesale slaughter may .be stopped.” A dispatch from Dixon, 111., last nig.. t stated that cases of the disease were reported in t<he dairv herd 1 ' of Reuben Foltz in South Dixon tp. His farm is five miles from the iniected zone in Palmyra. LATER— An injunction was granted Monday by Judge Irwin at his ho.ne in Elgin, and the wholesale slaughter of cattle, sheep and hogs afflicted with or exposed to this diseasie is halted in Illinois.