St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-19
WAR ON The WHISTLE.
Gov SH0R FRIDGE, or NORTH DAKOTA.
SPEAKS BEFORE
A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
[From the Sunday Globe. I

WASHINGTON, Feb. II. - Hearings
were given by the house committee on
agriculture today to representatives
of the farming interests of the North
west who favor the bill before congress
for the determination of the Russian
thistle. Gov. Shortridge, of North Da-
kota, was the principal speaker. The
secretary of agriculture was ridiculed
by Representative Slbley, Democrat
from Pennsylvania, because of a letter
written last August stating that the
weed was a blessing, because sheep
would eat it. Representative Hainer. a
Nebraska Republican, resented the
remarks of Mr.. Sibley, and defended the
secretary. The first speaker was Rep
resentative Boon, of Minnesota, who
has bill for extermiuating the thistle
before congress. and who described the
advantages of the weed.
GOV. sHoRTRIDGE
said that the weed had been brought in
by immigrants few years ago and had
spread until it has covered 10000 square
miles. 1t grew to height of three
feet. completely choking out grain. Un-
less war could be successfully waged
against this weed many farmers would
be compelled to abandon their lands
entirely. State legislation had been di-
rected against it for its destruction by
town and county agencies, but this
proved insufficient. He advocated a
liberal appropriation from congress. A
letter was read from A. II. M0hler. su-
perintendent of the Great Northern
road. BE wrote:
UNLESS united action is taken by the
farmers III different communities the
damage to the land will be infinitely
worse than any of the worst grasshopper
plaques these districts have ever eX-
perienced -
Another letter from
GOV. SHELDON,
of South Dakota, stated that the weed
has had Judgment in the southern coun-
ties of the state for years, and was just
making its appearance in Northern Da-
kota, where the people were much
alarmed. He had been surprised to
learn the people preferred the Russian
thistle to foX-tail grass. In answer to
questions from Representative Simpson
the governor stated that $1,000. 900 acres
of the 25.000,000 of land in North Da-
kota belongs to the government. Rus
sian agricultural officers had told him
that large tracts of land in Russia had
been absolutely abandoned because of
the weed. Representative Sibley,
Pennsylvania, asked:
Have you not letter from the secre-
tary of agriculture, saying that the
farmers should regard this weed as a
blessing?"
MIR. Shortridge replied that Secretary
Morton had written such letter, but
i'll his opinion the secretary must have
been deceived by newspaper articles,
written by man who had sheep to sell.
Then Representative Sibley stated
that the Secretary of agriculture had
written that the low price of wheat was
blessing, because 1t could be sold
abroad and our gold brought back in re-
turn,
SECRETARY MoRToN's LETTER
was characterized by Gov. Shortridge
as ''rot." Representative Rainer rose
to say that he wanted to protect Secre-
tary Morton from attack. The secretary
had deep interest in the welfare of
the agricultural classes. 81 see no
necessity for eulogy of the secretary
OF agriculture" replied Mr.. Sibley. ITO
quote his words Is not to attack him.
have put no words in his
mouth that he did not use.