The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-04-09
BOIL WEEv|L AND TEXAS
QUARAN TINE BACKS SIMS
OFF THE BOARDS BEFORE
CON GRESS|ONAL HEAR|N c

Washington, April 9.-Hot discus
sion marked the progress of hearings
before the horticultural board on pro
posals to impose federal quarantine
against the pink boil worm in Texas
and Louisiana.
Chairman Marlett and members Of
the Texas delegation, which included
Governor Hobby and other officials.
had several spirited exchanges over
the failure Of the state and residents
along the Mexican border to make ef-
fective the uon.cotton zone originally
established against the pests. The Tex
ans asked permission to grow cotton
in the belt this year with an agree
mont to abolish cotton in it next year
ii the boil worm were found.
THE trouble is with this sort of an
agreement" Chairman Aarlett said
that it is what we have tried be
fore. We signed the people up to an
agreement in the zone that if tn,
worn did appear they would cease
growing cotton ana now that it has
appeared, they have gone ahead to
plant cotton. The lure Of the crop
would be just as great next year
as It is now"
II. W, EarEuloo ana G.. : Brown,
representing Texas growers i'm the n.
fccted zone, interrupted TO say tiat
the Texas law had been changed ana
That they were not obliged 10 keep
Ne contract. Ben S. Chapman, prest
dSnt OF the Texas boil worm commits
sion, said he believed that nothing
but non.cotton zone along the
Mexican border would cNtcrminate
the wcevil, but that q great injustice
was done to growers within the zone
especially since the state arrange.
mcnt for indemnity had not been sat
islacJorily carried out.
'What is the use of wandering i'm
the bush" Chairman Marlett inter
ruptcd. The question is whether the
state of Texas is going to meet it,
responsibility ana do it in time. The
governor can call a special session
of tine legislature now and secure
the proper legislation aud appropria
tion. We put the matter up to Louisi
ana and they didn't wait over night
The only question is whether the
state wants to take advantage of an
opportunity to cXtcrminate the pest
If Texas fails TO do that, the de-
partment Of agriculture will not
take the responsibility. The fedora
government has furnished the money
to fight the pest, has shown the meth
od of eradicating it and has furnish
ed the personnel. We gan do n
more
T. O, Walton Of the Texas agricui
tural extension service, declared th'
board could do nothing 10y "shakin-
the big stick"
The fact is that cotton will be ma
tured in 1920 in the Houston district
Walton said "and you might as wei
NgEre your quarantine right now I'm
rYot speaking in the interest of an,
section. The fact that the Department
Of Agriculture has not had the 60
opcration Of the people of TeXa
and the only thing to do is to face
the situation as it is and adopt th'
plan suggested by the Texas delesa
ton"
Governor Hobby said Texas woul
get results just as soon as Lou!sl
ana and that the Legislative member
were already pledged TO enact IN
legislation for indemnity.
The Texans formally presented
proposal that cotton he grown II
the zones this year under strict in
spection and quarantine with th
pledge that meanwhile the Legislature
would be assembled and that in 1871
the growth of cotton in the intecte
area would be totally prohibited
Represcntative Young, democrat
Texas, supporting the proposal, de
clared the fcdcrll government coul'
not put into effect a general quar-
antine against Texas. This precpitai
ed more debate.
I'VE appreciate the grounds upoI
which this proposal rests Chairman
N[arlett said, "but it means yea
of time lost, an opportunity given t
the pest TO spread all over the cottol
territory"
An entomologist in the audience in
terupted to say that "one storm
cNld scatter it a hundred miles
tThere is a pest spot including ON