The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-16
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STATE PRESS COMMENT.
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Barrier Against Boil Weevils.

Barrier Against Boil Weerils.
The government having failed, af-
ter the most exhaustive efforts, to
discover way to destroy or to check
the northerly advance of the Mexi-
can boil weevil, the plan proposed by
Senator r. ID. Smith of South Caro-
lima, as outlined in the Associated
Press dispatches yesterday, and re-
ported to have the tentative approval
of Secretary of Agriculture Houston,
acquires national Importance.
Briefly, the proposal is that the ma
tional government shall exercise that
power which justifies radical meas
ares for the we'll being of the country
or safety of society, and forbid the
cultivation of cotton in belt so miles
wide and extending from the noun
tains in North Alabama to the gulf,
a distance of $50 miles wide.
AS the weevil can not progress ex-
cept in cotton fields, it is believed the
non-cultivation of cotton in that belt
would save more than half Of Ala
bama, and the States Of Georgia, Flor
ida and the two Carolinas from inva-
sion by the destructive pest. The
plan contemplates the government
compensating farmers in the zone de-
scribed for not planting cotton. They
could, Of course, plant other crops and
the Department of Agriculture would
doubtless exert especial effort to make
profitable new crops and other farm
Industries.
The dispatches say that Senator
Smith has won the promise of Sena-
tor Kern Of Indiana, Democratic lead
er in the Senate, to support feasible
plan to accomplish the desired object,
and the most important point that
must be determined in Washington is
the general governments powers in
the premises.
Senator Smiths proposition is a
big one but by no means staa gering.
Proposed control of the Mississippi's
floods contemplate the expenditure of
more than hundred million dollars.
Those floods are periodical, sometimes
years elapsing without harm being
done. The advance of the boil weevil
into the South Atlantic Cotton States
will cause loss to this section of the
South of anywhere from $4,000, 900
to $125,000,000 a year. Unless the
proposed barrier area is above the
normal in cotton production, it would
cost the government less than ten mil
lion year-perhaps considerably less
to put the Smith plan into effect. And
stopped in his course, something may
be devised for the destruction Of the
weevil, but meanwhile The now cotton
area would present to the whole South
the best obtainable object lessons for
crop diversification and varied farm
industries.
In this proposition, the business in
terests OF the whole country are con-
cerned. The manufactures need the
cotton and it is to their interest as
Ncll dS W llIc SOllSullclS liltClCSI liill
it shall be grown and marketed at
tho least possible cost; the boil wcevil
adds to the cost Of produring that
which is grown in boil weevil terri
tory And the bankers and merchants
of Boston are as much concerned as
the bankers and merchants OF the
South, in large exports Of cotton
which give us the advantage Of n bal
ance in our foreign trade. Checking
the boil weevile in Alabama, would dis
courage great activity in cotton cul-
ture in the possessions Of European
countries, and would consequently
enable the United States to retain a
marked domination Of the worlds
supply
Senator Smiths plan should receive
the attention of congress.-The State.
A friend called at the front gate
of the editor Of our Monthly in his
splendid automobile and took him for