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NEED APPROPRIATION FROM CONGRESS Only Thing Keeping Newly Appointed Semount Board from launching Project with Vigor SARATOGA SPRINGS N Y Vugust 2 The first meeting of the recently appointed remount board whose function will be to provide the United States with a suitable supply of cavalry horses was held in Washington a few days ago and the only matter which is keeping the project from being launched with a vigor which I is characteristic of the personnel of the commission Is an appropriation by Congress which will no doubt be forthcoming shortly shortlyThe The breeding of cavalry remounts has previously been carried on in the United States with little aid for the farmers from the federal authorities Under the plans of the remount board the production of this kind of horse will be easier and more profit ¬ able it being the aim to furnish thoroughbred sires of the type best suited to the mares in each com ¬ munity while the restrictions which formerly gave the government a lien on an exceptional animal will be removed removedEvery Every member of the board which consists of sixteen equally divided between experts in military and civil life with one exception was present at the meeting which was held in the war depart ¬ ment Col John S Fair is chairman of the board with Col F S Armstrong secretary The latter presided and recorded a unanimous vote for a reso ¬ lution that it was the sense of the meeting that the United States government should have a na ¬ tional breeding establishment to take care of the future horse needs of the army f fMajor Major August Belmont whose chairmanship of the Jockey Club makes him a powerful ally and whose generous donations of thoroughbred sires iome years ago including the great horses Octagon and Henry of Navarre really gayeanationi41 re l irig stud in America its initial impetus was most enthusiastic over the remount project on his return from the capital capitalDECIDE DECIDE ON PRIMARY STEPS STEPSWe We had a splendid meeting said he and I believe the plan will meet with the approval of the farmers of the country after the board has adopted a working scheme and secured the funds neces ¬ sary for the campaign It is going to take time and study to solve the problem In the interim it was the sense of the board that we should confine our immediate activities to conserving what has already been done for the army horse which after all is limited and grew out of the urgent needs of the remount department at the outbreak of the war warThe The members pledged their energies toward se ¬ curing an appropriation and also a supply of stal ¬ lions to be distributed all over the United States This policy will be pursued to the fullest extent Congress will permit It is calculated to assist the farmer in producing cavalry horses or an animal suitable for military purposes and it will be out aim to have these sires placed witli as few strings if any at all to the conditions of senice seniceHeretofore Heretofore the army has reserved certain rights regarding the produce of mares bred to government stallions In case the farmer secured an exceptional foal and wished to sell it at maturity in the open market he was held for the stud fee which was canceled whenever the federal authorities exercised their option We favor the removal of this penalty and if a farmer can breed a threeyearold that will bring 500 or more in the open market so much the better for the cause of horse breeding in America AmericaGOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT MUST PAY MORE MOREThe The government will have to take its chances in the market but with the industry showing greater possibilities in the way of profit for the pro ¬ ducer breeding will receive a stimulus that it is thought will result in a sufficiently large pro ¬ duction to meet the demands of all It goes with ¬ out saying that the government cannot get this same horse at old prices The cost of labor and feed have advanced greatly since tlie standard which existed during the war period was formulated The minimum will have to be increased and made sufficiently large to warrant the breeding of this particular type of horse horseThe The farmer will profit immensely if he can produce a better horse than the government can afford to buy We believe that such a condition will increase the interest in the remount project immensely and it will go a long way toward silenc ¬ ing the criticism which has been made in certain quarters about encroaching on the breeder who has a stallion often not a thoroughbred Nobody ever quarrels with success and the farmer will surely feel that his interests are best served by following a breeding policy that nets a profit profitIt It is to be hoped said Mr Belmont in con ¬ clusion that there will be a liberal spirit in the ranks of those thoroughbred breeders and racing men who have stallions that would be suitable for this remount work It is a duty and an obligation of good citizenship to assist in establishing on a firm foundation this project which is so badly needed and promises so much for the country
