The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-02-13
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE
PESTS.

A few days ago this paper remark
ed that the Legislature seemed will
ing to propitiste the farmer for the
imposition of fertilizer tax anu sc
Was considering bill to create
State Board of Crop Pest Commits
sioners.
Some people have often wondered
how the farmers Of this country coulC
ever be gulled into supporting a so
called protective policy Of the Re
publican party, but their smszemen'
has become considerably modified
since they have seen how SO many Of
the Democratic farmers of Virgins
have supinely permitted the polti-
clans to array them in advocacy Of g
fertilizer tax. Those farmers who
are not already convinced that tax
Of fifteen cents per ton means from
one to two dollars additional cost to
the purchaser Of fertilizers, will admit
it at the next cropping season when
their fertilizer bills BECOME due, il
not sooner. But of course our farm
ers will have no right to complain,
for, like the bene6cent Republican
protection, "the foreigner pays the
tax"
There will be no complaint from any
patriotic farmer. Oh, no; certainly
not for who Of US would be so mean
and niggsrdly, when the interest on
our State debt is soon to be increased
q couple Of hundred thousand dollars,
to kick against creating more sine
cures for unselAsh politicians 7 The
farmer should feel proud Of our rep
resentatives, who take such an inter
est in the poor fellow. His business
needs boom-whest at fifty cents
and corn at thirty cents-with farm
ing implements advanced twenty per
cent, and crops depreciating as an
Offset. Certainly he should have
something more to demonstrate to the
world that his profession is sdvsnc
ing. Then why should it not be fer
tilizers, the bone snd sinew Of his soil
and his life9
And, too, his profession will be con-
sidersbly elevated by the addition Of
so many influential men in each Con-
gressionsl district becoming connect
ed with the agricultural interests
through the benevolent positions OF
supervisors and examiners. 1t is to
be assumed, of course, that while
they keep an eye upon bogus fertile
ers, the two eyes Of each custodian
will take care that the tiller of the
soil palms of no bogus penitentiary
nickels upon him and though this
official may not be sufficiently adept
to discriminate between fish chum
and the product Of the hennery, still
he will be Of great service to the
ruralist to enlighten him uptn such
subjects 90 " election Of Senators by
the people, " and the deep and alb.
sorbing topic of how I" the foreigner
pays the tax" No philsnthropic
farmer would for a moment deny that
the world owes this beneficial creature
q living, so what boots it whether the
fertilizer man (" the foreigner, "
in this case) or the farmer pays for
his support.
When the farmer has done one |
good turn he is invited to do another.
and We feel satisfied that Mr.. Murrell |
is following out the righteous injunc
ton in creating the State Board of |
Crop Pest Commissioners. We con-
Tess that we do not exactly under
stand the bill and do not for moment |
assail its virtues (t may be full of
them), but while it is the concensus
of opinion that sill commissions and
commissioners are pests we did not
think Mr.. Murrell would be so can
did az to admit it before the world. II
the bill has any references to the pest.
houses there may be sanitary odor
about it, and while we admit ignor
snee ss to the specific objects Of the
bill we would like to inject few
suggestions. The new lot Of officers
to be appointed should be given by
the Legislature carte blanche Cor bet
ter stills one horse wagon to appoint
on each farm as many men, women and
children as will be necessary to keep
the pests down, to wit: one boy of the
age Of fifteen years to brush off the
Texas fly from the COWS during the
day; one man Of mature age to watch
the boy and see that he performs this
duty; q man and maid (of uncertain
sge) to gather cut worms in the
spring, and in his proper season to
spancel the gsudy potato bug, label
him Colorado Beetle" and ship by
express at the states expense to the
land OF his origin; sun-burnt Afri
can to chase the festive skipper in
the meat; six kids, and as many cat.
rifles. to keep the English sparrow
from becoming obese and to furnish a