illed by the promotion of assistants in the same divisions.

These promotions of experienced and faithful assistants have not only
been in the interest of efficient work, but have suggested to those in
the Department who look for retention and promotion that merit and
devotion to duty are their best reliance.

The amount appropriated for the Bureau of Animal Industry for the
current fiscal year is $850,000. The estimate for the ensuing year is
$700,000.

The regulations of 1892 concerning Texas fever have been enforced during
the last year and the large stock yards of the country have been kept
free from infection. Occasional local outbreaks have been largely such
as could have been effectually guarded against by the owners of the
affected cattle.

While contagious pleuro-pneumonia in cattle has been eradicated, animal
tuberculosis, a disease widespread and more dangerous to human life than
pleuro-pneumonia, is still prevalent. Investigations have been made
during the past year as to the means of its communication and the method
of its correct diagnosis. Much progress has been made in this direction
by the studies of the division of animal pathology, but work ought to be
extended, in cooperation with local authorities, until the danger to
human life arising from this cause is reduced to a minimum.

The number of animals arriving from Canada during the year and inspected
by Bureau officers was 462,092, and the number from transatlantic
countries was 1,297. No contagious diseases were found among the
imported animals.

The total number of inspections of cattle for export during the past
fiscal year was 611,542. The exports show a falling off of about 25 per
cent from the preceding year, the decrease occurring entirely in the
last half of the year. This suggests that the falling off may have been
largely due to an increase in the price of American export cattle.

During the year ending June 30, 1893, exports of inspected pork
aggregated 20,677,410 pounds, as against 38,152,874 pounds for the
preceding year. The falling off in this export was not confined,
however, to inspected pork, the total quantity exported for 1892 being
665,490,616 pounds, while in 1893 it was only 527,308,695 pounds.

I join the Secretary in recommending that hereafter each applicant for
the position of inspector or assistant inspector in the Bureau of Animal
Industry be required, as a condition precedent to his appointment, to
exhibit to th