276 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



recent vears. The states of Minnesota, Utah, and one other state, I 

 think it is Missouri, I am not sure, have also passed similar laws. In 

 Ohio it did not pass the last Legislature, but I think they will bring 

 strong pressure to bear on the next Legislature to have it passed. 

 It provides for the registration of the pedigree of a stallion in the 

 Department of Agriculture at Harrisburg, and a certificate is issued 

 to the owner, which can be used for advertising purposes. If a man 

 has an animal that is not pedigreed, but which he thinks is a good 

 animal, he can have him examined, and secure a certificate to that 

 efi'ect. This makes representation impossible. It also provides for 

 a certificate by the owner, under oath of a veterinarian, that the 

 animal is free from any unsoundness, and any horse not so certified 

 may not be used in Pennsylvania. I understand that there is a 

 movement on foot in Wisconsin to provide for the voluntary offlcial 

 examination of stallions for the purpose of breeding, so as to improve 

 the horse stock in that state still further; so that if a man has a good 

 stallion which he wishes to have approved he can have it done. 



There are seven hundred and fifty thousand horses in Pennsyl- 

 vania — approximately three-quarters of a million. We have 60 per 

 cent, more horses in Pennsylvania than they have in Kentucky, and 

 they are relatively finer, but most of the horses in Kentucky are 

 bred in that state, while most of the horses in Pennsylvania are 

 bred in other states and brought here. That is a distinct difference. 

 I don't know how many horses are brought in from other states 

 annually, but it is between fifty and a hundred thousand, which 

 brings into other states approximately a million dollars annually. 

 Now, this money, which goes to the horse breeders of other states 

 might just as well be kept at home. I think it is true that the aver- 

 age quality of horses in Pennsylvania is not as good as twenty-five 

 or thirty years ago. The argument, I think, is conclusive. Tlie 

 average quality of horses worked is better, while the average qual- 

 ity of horses bred is not so good. I think the enforcement of this 

 stallion law will help to improve matters in this respect. 



Then, another important law is Act No. 187, approved by the Gov- 

 ernor a few days ago — the Meat Inspection Law. As you all know, 

 President Eoosevelt became very much interested in meat inspection 

 last year after the publication of certain revelations as to the condi- 

 tions of slaughter houses in Chicago. Undoubtedly there was a great 

 deal of untruth, but there was also a great deal of truth in these rev- 

 elations, and the result was a more stringent Meat Inspection Law, 

 and the appropriation of three million dollars annually for the pur- 

 pose of this inspection. But this does not reach the establishments 

 engaged in a local business within the confines of the State. This 

 Federal Meat Inspection Law applies only to establishments doing 

 an interstate or export business. 



Now, we import from other states only about one-half of our meat 

 supply, so that only one-half of the meat eaten in Pennsylvania is 

 inspected by the Federal Government, and the other half, slaugh- 

 tered within the confines of the State, is not inspected at all. This 

 made it necessary to supplement the Federal Meat Inspection Law, 

 so this new law came into existence. 



The question to us is the probable effect of this law upon the 

 local meat business, and upon the business of cattle-growing in this 

 State. I think there can be no question but that it will be most 

 beneficial, and help to develop our local industry in these reapects 



