232 CONTAGIOUS LUNG FEVER OF CATTLE. 



iect. Tbo danger tliroateus all classes alike, tliongli tlie first sufferers will bo the stock- 

 owners; for every tax upou productiou necessarily eulianccs the value of the product ; 

 and, as agricultural progress must be seriously retarded, the tax will not fall upon meat 

 alouo, but upou every product of the farm. Nothiug can excuse a continued neglect 

 of this subject, the dangers surrounding which increase from day to day, and tho tlual 

 results of which, if once it reaches our Western and Southern States and Territox».-ir, 

 can only be computed by the prospective increase of our population and our herds of 

 cattle. For this is not like an evil preying on our currency, banking, trade, or manu- 

 factures, the fuU extent of which may be, in a great measure, seen from the beginning, 

 and the repair of which may be at any time inaugurated by legislative enactment. 

 The animal plague only increases its devastations as we increase the numbers of our 

 herds, and threatens soon to acquire an extension to which no legislation can oppose 

 a check, and a prevalence in the face of which the most desperate efforts of the nation 

 will i^rove of no avail. Thus our cattle are increasing at the rate of i:},500,000 every 

 ten years, so that by the end of this century they may bo exactly doubled, with a 

 prospective loss, if our Western and Southern ranges are infected, of $130,000,000 

 yearly in deaths alone. 



The choice is now in o^^r power. So far as wo knoAv, our stock-raising States and 

 Territories are still unaffected. We can still successfully meet and expel the invader; 

 next year it may be too late. 



[From the National Live Stock Journal of November, 1878.] 



OUR GOVERNMENT AND THE ENGLISH CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT. 



By an Associated Press dispatch from Washingt(»i we learn that "The Secretary of 

 State has been officially notified of the passage of an act by the British Parliament 

 entitled 'The Contagious Diseases (Animal) Act, 1878,' under" which, except in the case 

 of countries specially exempted by the Privy Council, in Avhole or in part, from the 

 operations of the act, all animals landed from abroad in any part of the United King- 

 dom will, after the 1st of January next, be slaughtered at the port of debarkation. 

 The British Government has also notified Secretary Evarts that, in case the United 

 States desire to bo exempted from the operations of the act, the lords will require a 

 statement of the laws Avhich regulate the importation of animals into this country, 

 and the method adopted to prevent the spreading of any contagious disease when k; 

 exists in any part of the United States. Secretary Evarts has sent a copy of the act 

 of the British Parliament to tho Secretary of the Treasury, in order that he may fur- 

 nish the desired information preliminary to any action being taken to have the animals 

 shipped from the United States into the United Kingdom exempted." 



We think it will puzzle the Secretary of the Treasury to find rtw^ methods that have 

 been adopted by our general government " to ^irevent the spreading of any contagious 

 disease when it exists in any part of tho United States"; and if ho will take the trouble 

 to iuvestigato the matter pretty thoroughly, he will find that all tho regulations that 

 have from time to time been ordered by his department to j^revent the introduction of 

 contagious and infectious diseases into the United States from foreign coimtries are 

 practically worthless. When this fact comes to be reported to the British Govern- 

 ment, it is not unlikely that the exemption which tho United States now enjoys from 

 the operation of the act will be revoked, notwithstanding our present comparative 

 freedom fi'om any diseases likely to be transmitted by exi^ortation to England. When 

 this condition of things is brought about, and the business of expoi-tiug fat cattle, 

 sheep, and swine from this country to England — which has, within the past few years, 

 grown to such enormous proportions and exercised so powerful an iufiucnce ui)on 



{n'ices in this country — comes to a sudden halt, wo shall expect such a jiressure to be 

 jrought to bear upon Congress as will comiiel the passage of some such act as that 

 introduced into the House last May by Hon. J. S. Jones, of Ohio, to which reference 

 was made in these columns in Juno last. 



But is it wise in us to await unfavorable action on the part of the British Govern- 

 ment bcibre taking such steals as will preclude ail probability of this country being 

 included in the jn-ohibition? Clearly, the interest is too large, and the efi'ect of a(l- 

 verse action on tho part of the Government of Great Britain upon our farming com- 

 munity would bo too disastrous, to justify us in taking any chances in the matter. 

 Tho regulations now provided by law against the importation of plagues and infectious 

 diseases from abroad are confessedly worthless ; and as for the stamping out of such 

 diseases wheu they do make their appearance, avo have absolutely no law that is gen- 

 eral in its operation. A few of llie States have attempted it on their own account, 

 but most of them have no laws at all upon the subject, and none can bo effectiuil 

 without the sanction of our general government ; for Congress alone has tho power to 

 regulate connuerco with foreign nations and ])etween the seveml States. 



It is imperative that early and elhcient action bo taken by our Congress upon this 

 matter, if avo Avonld not have our present lucratiA^e trade in fat cattle and sheep Avith 



