view raw text
I AIDING THE GOVERNMENT E Breeders and Farmers Co-operating with Army t Remount Service. il.Y C. .1. FITZ JEKAI.D. NKW YORK. N. Y.. January 1. The New York of Farmers, an association of men of liberal view-. _ who in the main are the owners of large estates . in the vicinity of New York, had as the speaker j of the evening Hf their recent December dinner _ Major "has. I.. Scott of the federal BemOUUt | Si rv ice. who told them some Interesting facts in Connection with the pun by Which the farmer- ■ and breeders of the I tiited States arc co-operating i with the government in the work of hor-e breeding. Frank K. Sturgi-. president of the New York , Fanner-, is stSS cliairnian of The Jockey Clubs bureau of breeding. This latter organization donated many of the thoroughbred -ins now in , use in the work of general pan pose bsraa Improve -meiii nt the rurtoaa depots. The nystem, which is at toeing so sin cc— fully promoted by the government. was patterned after that in operation in the tlene .■ -ee Valley for -ome years past, where The Jockey , Club ha- had I he active co-opera I ion of the Genesee . Valley Breeders Association. Major Scoti is in charge of the bureau of pur- -j ehase and distribution for the Remount Service of $ the Paited Slate-, and he illustrated his talk ,, wiih lantern plates showing the type- .ef stallion* , and in. ire- employed. He ai-o gave some examples of their progeny at Front Royal. Virginia: Fort p Sill. Oklahoma; Fort Robinson. Nebraska, and Fori ] Keogh. Montana, the chief station- for the system, j which has divided the country into zlies with j ex|Mrls in charge of operation. , He told how On- United States had experienced difficulty in obtaining SM.Ott head of horses for | Operations abroad during the war. The manner in „ Which the Remount Service developed was char- acleri-li of tie- period ami Ihe people. When war wa- declared the personnel in tin Initgd States i consisted of one officer. Col. John S. Fair, and a single clerk. From that modest beginning it grew , in ."iki otii.-- Mini : 01*1 enlisted men. This -.a- , tor Ihi rniled Stales only, ami Colonel Fair | remained ill charge. The work in France, which ] was in lha hands of the present head of the i bureau. Col. F s. Armstrong, called for a force , of MM Officers! anil 14.IKXI men. This made 111 . total number engaged in remount activities for our government, at home anil abound, MM office:- and 33.000 men. , The animals for riinount sent overseas. Major Scott declared, were in Ihe main of a ty|»e which , reflected tedit on the United States, ami every man engaged in the service realized that something should be done to induce the country to produce B better type cif light horse. The draft horses and mule- wire Mtisfactory, and a report to this effect wa- sent to the Secretary of War. A plan was then evolved by which a board of officers and civilian experts would meet from time to time- to recommend to the Secretary of War the best method to improve the ty] f light riding hor-e. This board wa- eluly named by Secretary Baker. It contained an equal number of officers ami civilian-ami at il- First meeting, in April. 1910. this body r.coinmended thai .*j:,0.iilll be appropriated by Congress for the encouragement of breeding. The remount St 1 1 its drew lip a plan for the WOTS, the money ha- been secured, the plan approved and the -y-tem goe- into effect during the next breeding season. DUPLICATING FRENCH HARAS SYSTEM. The method is a duplicate of the French Haras nystem, with the riinount board corresponding to the Supreme Council of the Haras, the remount service equivalent to tin French army administration of the Haras, and the American Remount Association with Col. R. II. William- a- preuhteul corresponding to the French Society for Kncourge mean in the Breeding of War Horses. Because the remount -ervice has been put on a permanent basis by the quartermaster general many experienced and accomplished officers of the mounted branches of the army have transferred for this duty, influenced by the belief that the work was worth while be cause of its permanent benefit anil encouraged by the attitude of the horsemen of the country who are giving tin- movement every assistance. Major Scott said thai during the past year when no appropriation wa- available sixty -lallions had been brid to 1.4IHI mare- and that SOU cults were on hand a-- the result of breeding operations in 191SI The campaign for 19J1 is most ambitious. It call- feer ihe placing of ir,» horses in the various sones. Of this number over 100 have been secured up to the present, either through donations from the breeding bureau of The Jockey Club, by deed of gift from public-spirited citizens or through the medium of purchase Thirty of the number are now mobilized at Front Royal. Va.. awaiting eli-ri tuition. Some of the bent blood in the world is represented iii thane horses, which are of fine tmc and color ami possessed of good tempers. Major Scott go! a round of applause when he voiced the opinion that 400 -tallions would he required for the campaign of lltJL. This estimate was bused on the present demand for thoroughbred sire- from representative farmer- and breeders in evef] -late in the Inion. He concluded by paying a tribute to Ihe horsemen of the country, to the brecclit g bureau of The Joe key Club ami to Ihe racing associations in Kentucky and .Maryland for their whole hearted support in furtlii-riiig the remount movement, which has now reached a point where its success i- assured. He declared that the object of the American Remount Association was three-fold: First, to encourage the breeding of horse- .end mule-, particularlv those needed feer the army; second, b» secure proper and reasonable legislation for owner-, users and breeders of horses; and lastly, to oombal unreasonable or unjust legislation which would injure owner-. breeder- or u-cr- of horses. He asked feer tin- earnest ro opera lion of the New York farmer- in achieving these . lids ■ a
