The Holbrook news., 1912-04-05
DOING NEEDED WORK
Biological Survey Should Not Be
 Hampered for Funds.
ITS SERVICES POINTED OUT
stockmen Especially Are Interested in the Matter-Every Dollar Spent Returned Ten Fold to the
 People of the Country.
By GEORGE CLINTON.

WaSn1ngtOn.-COng being eco nomically inclined this year there is
 some fear among the government
 scientists of the biological survey, the men who work large part of the
 time on behalf of the agriculturists
 of the country, that the appropriation
 for the survey may not be increased
 so that it can keep up with its in-
 creasing work. The truth is that if the appropriation is not cut the mem
 bers of the survey probably will be
 happy.
 Some years ago members of the house committee on agriculture seemed inclined to cut out entirely the appropriation for the biological survey. Theodore Roosevelt was pres ident at that time and his interest in the survey was well known, and it was hinted that it was a desire of the majority of the members of the agri- cultural committee to slap MT. Roose- welt that led them to consider cutting out the appropriation entirely.
 When it was feared that no appro- priation at all was to be made for the survey by the members of the Fifty ninth congress, news of the fact that the department might pass from its sphere of usefulness was sent through the country by the Washington cor respondents The response was in- stant. The mails were loaded with letters and protests from every state and territory. The chief of the sur vey had letters of support, and the members of congress- heard in pro test from hundreds of people whom no one supposed from their vacations in life would take any interest in natural history research.
 All Glasses interested.
 There were letters by the thou sands also from the farmers and the stock raisers and from the students of ornithology and mammalogy who had benefited by the painstaking work of the naturalists whose headquarters are fn Washington, but whose homes, when 1t is possible, are in the fields and the woods. The weight of pub lie opinion was felt by congress, and an interest was aroused among mem bers who barely knew that there was such an institution as the biological survey.
 It might be asked what the biolog- ical survey does to benefit the coun- try. Instances of it's service are not difficult to find The stock-raising in- iosses-or rather have suffered until recently-to the amount of about s12,- 100000 yearly through the depreda- tions of wild animals,-wolves, coyotes and cougars.
 Poison was the instrument em- ployed to kill the predatory animals. Strychnine was the means of death, and while it costs thousands of dol lars year, it was by no means efica- cious. The stockman complained that the wolves bred in the forest reserves and that the governments policy of reserves was in large measure re- sponsible for the increase in the numbers of the ravening packs.
 This argument was used to com bat the forest reserve plan of the government Vernon W. Bailey of the biological survey went west and studied the wolf question He found that the wolves did not breed in the forest reserves in large numbers. He located their breeding places, and in his report told the stockmen how to rid themselves of the pests without the necessity of resorting to the cost reports show that the wolf work of the survey already has saved the stockmen many times the amount of money that the government supplies yearly for the support of the survey.
 Other Good Work In Hand.
 The scientists today are engaged in the work of checking the depreciation of the ground squirrels of the far west and northwest. The annual damage that these animals inflict on growing crops is estimated at $10,000, 600. Nearly half million Is spent each year by the afflicted states in fight ng the pests. The biological survey Is at work on plan for the extermin- ation of the squirrels, a plan that promises success.
 One of the labors of the scientists of the survey has been to show the states how the full benefits ,f game protection may be obtained. md how the game in each state may ,e made to yield an important annual avenue. Illinois alone, as a direct 'esult of information from the biolog- cal survey, has added to it's in- ,ome annually $125,000. The state # Missouri has benefited to the ex- ent of $5O,o00, and more money will ome to 1t if it follows more closely he directions which it can get gratis rom the government ohicials
 Not the one-tenth part of the good hat the biological survey has done nd is doing has been set down ere. The survey needs more money 0 carry on its field work Every ollar spent means dollars returned 0 the people. and yet it is possible hat congress will not be willing to