The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-09
UNIFORM
COTTON LAWS
ARE URGED
Governmental Com
mission Proposed at.
Memphis Effort to
Aid Growers
Memphis, Dec. 4.-plans for the
organization of a permanent gov

organization of a permanent gov
mental cotton commission with
representatives from every cotton
producing state for the purpose Of
recommending legislation by the
states which will aid in solving
problems now confronting the in
dustry, were proposed here today at:
the second annual meeting Of the
cotton commission, composed of
delegates named by the governors
Of twelve southern states.
Under the plan suggested by A.
w. Mclean, Of North Carolina,
which will be. acted upon before
adjournment Wednesday q uniform
act may be formulated for presen-
tation to the legislatures Of cotton
producing states, which will pro-
vide for. permanent commission,
the members to be named by the
governor or legislature Of each
state
The necessity of uniform state
legislation which would enable the.
cotton producing sections Of the.
country to work together in con-,
trolling and eradicating insect
pests. and the adoption of better
methods of marketing and ware
housing the staple was strongly.
urged. not only by government and
state experts, but by number of
other speakers connected with va
rious branches Of the industry.
Tomorrow II. c.. Wallace, sec
retary Of agriculture, viii deliver
the principal address, outlining, the
work which the department has
done and is prepared to do for the
cotton growers,
The act providing for a per-
nlanent commission as proposed by
Mr. Mclean should by its terms,
he declared, confne the action
of the commission ito matters OF
common interests and about which
there shall be no conflict OF inter
est and should provide, he de-
clared, that all actions of such a
commission should be recommends
tory only unless and until the
various states concerned, shall, by
legislative act, give affirmative,
sanction to the measures propos-
ed by the commission and provide
the means OF making the same
effective"
Mr.. Mclean said that the most
pressing and urgent question now
facing the cotton industry in the.
south was the control and eradi-.
cation Of insect pests
Estimating the total damage to
the crop from the weeyil in recent
years at several billions of dollars
he said:
2 .It would seem that unless some.
more in esnsive and exten-
sive measures are employed, the
boil weeyH, aided by other pests
may eventually destroy the great.
cotton industry of the United
States
Insect pests control, particularly
as it involves the bob weevil
must not be considered from a
mere local or community stand
point nor from a sectional stand
point" Mr.. Mclean continued, ct
is great problem Of both ma
tional and international concern
which can not be solved without
the combined effort and resources
of our federal government, the gov
ernments Of the cotton growing
states, as well as; the brains and
resources of the planters and busi-
ness men of the whole nation.
Mr.. Mclean advocated a cam
paign of publicity and education in
order that the best methods OF.
solving the insect pest problem
may be carried directly to the door
of every planter in the south.
r. E. Mcdonald, state entomots-
gist. of Texas. outlined legislation
already enacted in that state fer
the control Of the boil weevi. and
for quarantining against the pink
boil worm Similar legislation in
other states was recommended by
the speaker. He said that quare.n-
tine measures which had been tried
out in Texas had proved effective
in preventing the spread of the
boil worm.
W. D. Hunter, government en-
tomologist in charge Of southern
field crop pests Investigation,
strongly urged enactment in south
ern states OF uniform act which
will furnish the necessary legal
authority in handling outbreaks Of
insect pests with a view, either TO
eradication, prevention of disselni-
nation, or prevention of entry into
the state. Early action was stressed
in view of the spread of the pink
boil worm.
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
and Florida, Mr.. Hunter said, al
ready have legislation which is
proving effective, while the pink
boil worm law in Texas woull be
strengthened by such legislation.
Special authority for the estsb-
lishment of non cotton zones with
some provision for the compensa-
ton of farmers for losses incurred
was advocated by the government
expert Closer cooperation of the
stare o-oyernp,ents with tho I-nitad