24 ANNUAL EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



inspector has been detailed to assist in combating tuberculosis of 

 cattle and swine and abortion of cattle, and it is proposed to increase 

 the number to 19. In the control of blackleg of cattle and anthrax of 

 domestic animals, five men are regularly employed. From time to 

 time, however, as occasion arises, employees regularly assigned to 

 other duties are detailed to the work of fighting these diseases. 

 These activities of the Department now cover 15 States and will 

 be extended to 10 more as promptly as possible. Sixty-five additional 

 veterinarians have been assigned to the hog-cholera work. Fifteen 

 more will be appointed as soon as competent men can be obtained. 

 The fight against the disease has been under way for some time in 

 28 States, and as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made 

 with the State authorities it will be carried into the remaining 20 

 Commonwealths. 



THE LIVE-STOCK CONFERENCE. 



In the effort to increase the meat supply, it seemed of the highest 

 importance that the cooperation of the live-stock men of the Nation 

 should be secured. Having this in view, in August I decided to 

 ask representatives of the various live-stock interests to attend a 

 conference in Washington on September 5 and 6, 1917. Shortly after 

 the call for the conference was issued, in view of the interest of the 

 Food Administration in many phases of the same matter, it was deter- 

 mined to have a joint conference and to create a National live-stock 

 industry committee. People representing not only the producers 

 of the various kinds of live stock but also the farm journals were in- 

 vited to become members of the committee and to attend the confer- 

 ence. It was pointed out that there had been a tremendous slaughter 

 of animals abroad, and that the destruction would continue at an 

 accelerated rate. The duty of this Nation to supply food for its own 

 citizens and soldiers and also to help feed the civilian population and 

 soldiers of the Allies was emphasized. It was especially suggested 

 that attention should be given to the problem of redistributing cattle, 

 sheep, and hogs from areas where feed supplies were short to those 

 where they existed in greater abundance. One hundred and eighty- 

 five men, including representatives of the Department of Agi-iculture 

 and the Food Administration, attended the conference, which lasted 

 for two days. Certain recommendations, with many of which the 



