The Hattiesburg news., 1913-02-21

1t is a question, and sometimes ask
ed in dead earnest, Does tick eradi- |
cation really pay?" 1 stoutly affirm
that it does pay, and pays enormously;
and in this article l shall endeavor
to prove it.
But let us first inquire what is the
extent of the evil and nuisance which
we must eradicate. Now, the esti-
mate of the loss. cost and sheer waste
annually, caused by the vermin cat
tie ticks which the United States Ag-
ricultural Department makes for the
entire sunny South" is fully the enor-
nous sum of rs million dollars! And
the careful estimate of the statisticians
of the Central of Georgia railroad
places the cost and waste from the
same fell cause yearly at not less than
7 million dollars, for the two states
of Alabama and Georgia-with CORE
spending loss for Mississippi.
Now these are immense losses; and
they would be incredible If they we're
not so strongly attested. But facts
are facts, and they can not be gain
sayed by any amount of sheer incredul-
| ity. And now what is to be done?
Shall the people sit down in dumb de-
spair, and wait for the cattle ticks to
die out? But they won't die out. They
have come to stay torment and a
nuisance, until they are stamped out
and eradicated Can this be effect
ually done, and will it really pay? I
answer. yes; it can be done and 1t
will pay.
I offer in proof the following sum-
mary of clear and definite facts.
Angry Opposition Overcome.
1t is now about six years since this
bureau began, in dead earnest, the
work of tick eradication. 1t was then
without both experience and practical
knowledge. 1t began its work in ridi-
cule and angry opposition. But after
six years hard work this bureau now
sees over 100000 square miles, or more
than 100 million acres of Southern soil
and territory which have been utterly
freed from the vermin cattle ticks
and taken out Of rigid and drastic
United States quarantine law. This is
an area three times as large as the
entire state of Mississippi. This great
work cost Uncle Sam fully one mil
lion round dollars, besides the sums
which were contributed by the several
states and counties. Well, now, did
this great expenditure pay? I answer
that upon this area lived the owners
of fully 4.440,000 head of horned cat
tie, and these cattle as we'll as theil
pastures were utterly and completely
cleared of the cattle tick nuisance
And the outcome was this: These
very cattle, relieved from the torment
: ing vermin began at once to IMPROVE
in growth, and size, and in health ant
appearance. They took on flesh, ant
!. became greater in demand, and sal
value, so that these very cattle ros
! in cash value from $58.119, 900 to full
t $S0,0S5,72 Or a clear net gain t
Y the cattle owners of $21,965,7S0! o
e more than twenty times the cost @
the tick eradication. More than
royal Kings ransom. We don't hav
q to argue with these cattle owner
: that tick eradication really pays, bt
q cause they know it. They look on tn
q doubter as pretty nigh fool who wi
4 ask such question.
"a Land Values Enhanced.
= But 1t must be remembered that q
. cry acre has been greatly enhance
:, in value by the utter eradication Of II
tick nuisance. And this enhancemel
;, in value has been, In all this cleart
;. area. from three to five dollars p
acre. But this area was the proper
~ of the cattle owners-and did not
" properly belong to Uncle Sam. Al
three to five dollars per acre on 1
million would amount Of 300 to 5
al million dollars. And all this to e
~ cattle owners! How utterly silly al