were awake to the necessity of early
and radical legislation. President Arthur evinced great
cordiality, and gave good proof of his interest by calling
attention in the annual message to the approaching meeting in
Washington, which I have called the 10th of January.

FACTS.

I have sent out in a circular to the committee the following
"head-land" facts of startling import, which should be well
considered:

1. That there is an investment of $1,008,000,000 in cattle as
estimated by the Department of Agriculture, representing
41,171,000 animals. That of swine is $291,000,000,
representing over 43,000,000 animals.

2. That losses annually on exportation of cattle and beef,
consequent upon restrictive regulations and the decreased
relative consumption of our beef, aggregates many millions of
dollars. We reach an approximate estimate by these facts
relative to our foreign trade as follows:

The exports of 1880-81 were 368,463 animals. Those of 1882-83
were 212,554--a loss of 155,009 animals, and in value a loss
of $11,506,000 in two years.

The exports of fresh beef for two years were less by
40,071,167 pounds, and by a value of $2,191,190. The value of
pork products decreased in the same time to the extent of
$35,679,093.

This shows a falling off of about $25,000,000 per annum for
two years, as compared with the receipts for the two
preceding years.

CONTAGION TO BE AVERTED.

It should be known that the pleuro-pneumonia often mentioned
as a scare or a myth by the thoughtless and optimist is a
stern reality. Its journeys and track of destruction among
cattle have been as marked as that of small pox and
cholera--contagious diseases which have so tearfully
decimated the human family. Lung diseases of the modern type
were known before the Christian era, and were considered by
Columella and other Latin writers. Australia resigned her
great herds to flocks of sheep, as did South Africa, never
yet recovered from the blow to her cattle industries.

England has been tardy in the publication of her losses by
lung-fever, yet it is a fact which forbids secrecy that
calamity has reached the enterprising breeders, and colossal
fortunes have been swept away by the cattle-plague. In our
own country it has been no more the policy of secretive
owners