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72 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
The programme was resumed, and the following question was 
discussed: “ Is It the Duty of the State Government to Foster and 
Encourage the Dairy Industry ot Illinois ?” R. M. Patrick gave some 
very good reasons why the State should aid the dairymen, and among 
others was the fact that the business was largely experimental ; that 
is, there were modes advocated, and the idea was to discover which 
was the best. The aid rendered by the State would be repaid many 
times, if the experiments could be made, and they should prove suc¬ 
cessful. 
WHAT LEGISLATION, IF ANY, DOES THE DAIRY 
INTEREST REQUIRE ? 
C. H. LARKIN. 
In discussing this topic it is proposed briefly to call attention to a 
lew reasons why legislation should be invoked in the interest ol this 
industry. To begin with, this proposition is made : That whatever 
lies at the base of general wealth and prosperity is a proper subject ot 
legislation, and especially is this true regarding those interests that 
are largely experimental. Proof of this is unnecessary, as it is believed 
no one will deny. Again, it is assured that all will admit that the 
most valuable interests materially considered are those which produce 
—those that win food, raiment or wealth from land or sea. 
Whatever feeds the people makes all other trades or callings pos¬ 
sible. That the dairy interest occupies a conspicuous place among 
these industries is evidenced by the fact that all over the country dairy 
fairs and dairy conventions are held, and not only attract the attention 
of men practically engaged in it, but those from other walks in life, 
find time and inclination to attend. Not long ago a gathering of a 
few active dairymen was sneered at and deridingly called “ A Chalk 
and Water Convention.” Not so now. Our public servants whom 
we have helped to place in positions of trust and responsibility, find 
the claims of this industry cannot be ignored. And even politicians 
and office-seekers have been known to be attracted by the winsomness 
of the cow, dairy-maid, or something else, to come to our gatherings, go 
home with us and interest themselves in all the belongings of the cow- 
barn and creamery, until the whole business smacks of old-time poetry. 
The magnitude of this interest is a very cogent reason why it 
should receive attention at the hands of our Legislature. The follow¬ 
ing will, I believe, fall below, rather than exceed, the actual capital in¬ 
vested in this enterprise in this State, excluding the amount invested 
in distributing milk in cities ; also the no-inconsiderable sum in butter 
and cheese factories : 
VALUE OF COWS, HORSES AND LANDS. 
Cows, l,000,000-$30 each..$ 30,000,000 
Horses. 75,000—$80 each.:. 6,000,000 
Acres of Land, 4,0Q0,000-$30 per acre. 120,000,000 
I 
Total value. 
Add to this the 
.$156,000,000 
Annual Value of Feed, say — •.. .. .. S 6 , 500,000 
Labor. 1,000,000 
Loss on Stock—5 per cent.. 1 
Interest on Total, at about 6 p£r cent. 9,360,000 
Making in all.$258,400,000 
