Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-19
THE THISTLE: APPROPRIATION
May Be Deadlock Between the House
and Senate Over It
Secretary Morton is Opposed to Civ.
ing the Money On the Ground
of Paternalfsm.

There bids fair to be something of a dead
lock between the oonferees on the agri-
cultural appropriation bill ever the Senate
amendment carrying $l,O00OOO for the ex-
termina tion of the Russian thistle in the
Dakotas. Senator Hansbrough won a long
legislative fight, and one which looked at
times like a hopeless one, when he sue
ceeded in getting his plan tackled on as an
amendment at the twelfth hour and car
ried by a narrow majority.
Early this session the Senator from North
Dakota entered upon his crusade against
the thistle introducing bill to give the
sum finally appropriated to kill it, but the
bill met with defeat in both the House and
Senate committees.
Gov. Shortridge came from Dakota TO
urge Congress to do something for the state
In its fight. 1t was represented that the
government owned large tracts of land in
Tested by the weed, and that the nature of
the plant was such that unless ii was totally
cleared away its seeds would be carried
by the wind, and all efforts toward clear
ing their own lands would amount only TO
suppression and not to exterminat ton
Secretary MortOn's Opposition.
Secretary j. Sterling Morton wrote a let
ter opposing the government aid asked for,
on the ground that it savored of paternai-
ism,an recommended that the work should
be done by the state or individuals, rather
than the general government. Incidentally
he made humorous suggestion, that in
view of the fact that sheep would eat The
thistle. the Dakota farmers might abandon
wheat growing and turn their attention to
sheep raising.
some quarters, and led to correspondence
between the Secretary and members of the
House committee on agriculture. After
wrestling with the question for some time
HnnSH mi la1 tha ~ Aa;,.
action beirg influenced by certain parties
who wrote that they Considered other W eeds
more destructive in Dakota than the thistle
but the point of pattrnalism was the chief
reason for the action,
Why the Ss.nate Changed
The Serate committed followed the action
of the House in repor ting adversely upon
the BILL but finally Senator George, its
chairman. was indacea to change his posi-
tion, on the representation that the govern
ment was a large landholder in the thistle
ridden section, and, the bill was tackled on
as an amendment to the regular agr!cultu-
raj bill
Economy in appropriations has been gen.
orally enforced in the House This session.
The thistle appropria ton is the largest ad-
dition made to any os the regular House
Hills, and the committee on agriculture is
talking defiance to the senatorial raise
Still Senator Harsbrough may win in the
end
The Con, nti tees Action.
The bill to restrict the sale of oleomar-
garine and other limitations of dairy pro-
ducts and releasing them from the scope Of
the original package decision, so that they
cannot be imported into states, will be ia
vorably reported to the House, the commit
tee on agriculture today so voting to report
1t. An animated discussion of the Senate
amendment to the appropriation bill giving
$1cO0,OOO to kill the Russian thistle in the
several western states absorbed most Of the
time of the Conm mittee. BY a unanimous
vote the conferees were instructed not to
recede from the committees original posi-
tion on the thistle extermina ton and to