424 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the bill. The buyer of the stock indorses the bill and returns the dupli- 

 cate to the commission agent with an order — perhaps on the back of 

 the bill or may be by check — on a bank to pay the commission firm this 

 sum of money. With the payment of the order or check it returns to 

 the buyer as an accepted check, serving as a complete receipt and 

 voucher, showing the entire course of the transaction. This includes 

 an exact duplicate of the weighmaster's certificate, the commission 

 man's indorsement, and the bank's stamp, giving date of the settlement. 

 It is customary for the commission agent, even before settling with 

 the buyer, to send to the shipper, if nonresident and not otherwise 

 represented, a statement of the gross proceeds of the sale, with deduc- 

 tions for freight, commission, yardage, etc., and to forward him the 

 balance due. The payment is of course usually made by means of a 

 bank draft or check, according to local conditions. Such negotiable 

 paper is equivalent to cash. 



INSPECTIOX OF STOCK. 



Government supervision. The Bureau of Animal Industry of the 

 United States Department bf Agriculture, by authority of Congrest. 

 takes charge of the enforcement of all national laws relative to dis- 

 eased live stock and its control. The Secretary of Agriculture is em 

 powered to issue from time to time regulations for live stock inspection, 

 quarantine and slaughter. Live stock commissioners or State veter- 

 inarians and boards of health supervising State live stock interests are 

 also expected to co-operate with the Bureau of Animal Industry. 



In 1903 cattle, sheep, calves and hogs and their products were in- 

 spected at 156 abattoirs and packing houses, located in fifty cities of the 

 United States. Inspections were also made of the live stock and meat 

 contents of vessels engaged in the export or import trade. 



In those markets subject to Government supervision a trained vet- 

 erinarian has charge of the inspection, and associated with him is one 

 or more inspectors, as the case may be. the number depending on the 

 size of the market. Not only do United States inspectors officiate, but 

 in some cities, like Chicago, representatives of both city and State also 

 inspect. City inspectors are used only for the inspection of meat to be 

 consumed in the city where the yards and abattoir are located. The 

 inspectors of the State board of live stock commissioners (or similar 

 office with some other name) are mainly interested in seeing that no 

 animals suffering from disease shall enter the market and be allowed to 

 contaminate the healthy stock of the State. The United States inspector 

 deals with the subject in its broadest sense, as affecting interstate and 

 international trade. The live stock exchange at the yards, including 

 as it does the commission men, co-operates with the Government to 

 promote as high a standard of health in herds and fiocks as it is possi- 

 ble to obtain. Every person who does business in the yards is under 

 strict obligation to obey all the rules and regulations issued by local. 

 State and national governments. 



Cattle originating in' the section of country infested by the ticks 

 of the species which causes Texas, or splenetic, fever, may be shipped 



