The Washington herald., 1914-05-15
insects SHARPEN
WITS in SENATE.
Cigarette Beetle Furnishes
Comedy in Debate on
Agriculture Bill.
NEAR.TRAGEDY FOLLOWS.
Ashurst Almost Comes to Blows with
Bristow. Who Makes SIur on Plan
to Kill Prairie Dogs.
NEAR-TRACEDY FOLLOWS

A propossi by Senator Bryan. Of
Florida. that the government appropriate
some money TO extsrminate the cigarette
beetle" led to much comedy IN the Sem
ate yesterday. In which the Northern
Senators twitted their Southern brethren
on using government funds to extinsuish
the boil weevil. Argentine ant. and other
pests. while the Southern Senators re-
torted that the New England Senators
had received an annual appropriation OF
a quarter Of million dollars to arrest
the progress Of the brown-tailed moth and
the gypsy moth.
AL this comedy was followed a little
later by near-tragedy. when Senator Bris-
tow. Of Kansas, sought to poke fun at
Senator Asliurst. OF Arizona, who wanted
to increase the appropriation for max
ing a scientific study Of methods for
eradicating the prairie dog"
Prairie Dogs start TrosbIe.
When Senator Bristow suggested that
this appropriation would simply provide
a government Job for somebody, Senator
Ashurst grew red In the face and charged
that Mr.. Bristow had ''falsified."
The Senator 10 out Of order and will
take his seat" shouted Senator Hitch
cock. who was presiding at the time.
1cs, tnc SendtOT IrOm htiLoHd - oue
Of order" retorted Senator Ashurst. but
Is guilty Of classifying when he states that
the Senator from Arizona Is trying to
create a job for somebody
Senator Bristow gained recognition long
enough to explain that he did not mean
that Senator Ashurst was trying to Sc
cure a Job for one of his constituents,
but intimated that somebody had made
the suggestion for the appropriation who
was seeking a place.
The Senate then voted down Mr.. As
hursts amendment by a tie votes to
e. Senator Asffurst observed that Mr..
Bristow was laughing over the situation
and that other Senators refused to treat
the prairie dog amendment seriously. so
he relaxed and crossed over to the Re-
publican side and shook hands with Mr..
Bristow and soon good order was re-
stored.
Enter Mr.. Reed.
Senator Reed then took the floor and
lecture on the extravaganza In the agri-
cultural appropriation bill
We ought TO go further" said Mr..
Reed. "and appropriate a few million
dollars to exterminate field mice and to
make q scientific study of the habits Of
the centipede. This bill appropriates
money not only for exterminating
wolves. prairie dogs, ground squirrels.
and other animals, but II actually makes
an appropriation for a study Of fur
bearing animals, with view of promot-
ing the growth of the mink, marten,
and probably the skunk. I have no
doubt that a liberal construction of this
appropriation bill would permit the use
Of the appropriation for q study Of
methods for exterminating field mice"
Senator Warren explained that this
was undoubtedly true and that much
had been left to the Secretary Of Agri-
culture
''Under liberal construction" resumed
Mr.. Reed, II have no doubt that the
government could go into the business
Of breeding gray cats. How long, oh
Lord. how long In this to continue! /
undertake to say that the talk of econo-
my of which We have heard SO much
Is turned into a satire and a farce by a
reading Of this BILL
"Is there anything in the Baltimore
platform about exterminating prairie
dogs?" timidly inquired Senator Borah.
II have no doubt that II there were
anything there would be a general re-
on the Democratic side of this
chamber. This bill contains hundreds
of thousands of dollars for appropria-
tions that is practically wasted"
Senator Bristow spoke with authority
on the subject Of prairie dogs. He de-
clared that Kansas was the home Of the
gopher and the prairie dog. but that the
farmers there found no difficulty In get
ting rid of these animals when they
threatened to become a pest.
Exit Prairie DOG.
ANY intelligent farmer simply goes
to a drug store and buys a jugful of
some liquid or gas that is poisonous and
pours 1t down the hole i'm the ground in
which the prairie dog burrows, and
With a wave Of his hand he indicated.
Exit, prairie dog"
Senator Gallinger was curious to know
just what kind Of a pest the Cigarette
beetle" was, that Senator Bryan. If
Florida, wanted to exterminate.
That Senator explained that the insect
was mot a beetle at ALL but a pest
that laid an egg in the growing leaf OF
the tobacco and that after the tobacco
leaf was made into a cigar a worm
was hatched from the egg which bored
a hole in the cigar and that this ac-
counted for the failure Of SO many of
the ordinary variety of cigars to draw
well. Senator Bryan admitted that he
got his information from a scientist who
had been making a study of the pest
and who had a plan for using a govern
ment appropriation to 'sterilize the egg