The Mena weekly star., 1922-03-09
TICK ERADICATION

Altho wonderful progress has been made in eradicating the cattle tick, there is scarcely state that was for merly infested that is now entirely free of the tick. Even states that have small areas infested. Mississ- ippi. for instance, which was released from statewide quarantine several years ago, is still struggling by the blowing up of dipping vats. In Louis mana, great opposition to the pro gress of cleaning up the ticks IS peing experienced. In one parish we are told that all but six vats were oe- stroved. and parishes that had been released from quarantine have had to he reouarantined. These are Acadia, Avoyelles, De Soto, Natchitoches, Tanganaboa, West Carroll, and part of Rapides. ,,
 All the opposition which now exists. and has always existed wher- ever tick eradication has been at- tempted, has no relation to the sue cess or failure of tick eradication ef- forts. Tick eradication has always, right from the first, proved a practi- eal success. no matter what the methods used, if a real effort has been made. The opposition which now ex- ists is the same as has always exist ed and will always exist to any wide movement which touches all the peo- ple and requires them to do some thing or to submit to others doing something for them. It is the uni versal manifestation of contrariness and ignorance which exists in all groups of large numbers of the hu- man family.
 The opposition is not due to the failure to eradicate ticks, whenever measures for their eradication have been applied with anything like dili- gence and honesty. Tick eradication is successful and has been proved eff fective and tremendously beneficial in thousands upon thousands of iri- stances. If anything ever was proved to be easy, effective, and prof. able, tick eradication has been so proved.
 If those who disapprove tick eradi- cation would only study the lift his- tory or habits of the tick, would in- vestigate and become acquainted with
 
 would take the testimony of those sections where ticks have been eradi- cated, there would be no opposition to tick eradication. But these people are not that sort. They are too ig- norant to acquaint themselves and they are not influenced by facts. There are two influences which play upon the ignorance of these who fight tick eradication. One is selfishness. The methods used interefere with the wishes or operations of the individ- ual cattle owner or dealer. He does not want trading or dealing in cattle or the handling of his own cattle ir- terfered with. The other Is the na- tural opposition of certain persons to law and order. They resent any restraint on their actions and are na- turally lawless and anarchistic in their tendencies.
 Such people can only be reached in two ways. One way, and the best way, is by the influence of the leading citizens and the persuasion of those they know and respect, or by an overwhelming public opinion. The other way is by the strong arm of the law, which in this country can only be exercised when supported by a large majority of the people in the community.
 But some of the trouble which is being experienced is due to mistakes in administration. For instance, it has always been mistake to release from quarantine county, or sec tion until entirely free of ticks. Mis- sissippi, for instance, was released too early, and there is no excuse for the mistake, because past experience at the time should have taught those responsible that such a course was a mistake. Moreover, they had been re- peatedly warned and the mistake re- peatedly pointed out, but they per- sist in the mistaken course. By ex- perience, the writer knows that the counties, parishes, or other sections which it has been necessary to re- quarantine have not been reinfected. They were never free of ticks. Of course, it is fine to release large area to show progress, but to release an area before it is free delays the final eradication of ticks rather than aids it. This tick eradication prob lem Is one in which the whole South should again get interested. It is not enough for any section to eradicate it's ticks and then dismiss the subject. The best stimulus to tick eradication, after education as to the ease and economy of doing the work, is a strict quarantine of the infected area which will hold the cattle to that territory until the ticks are all dead. When the free cattle of a section are released and the owners of these cattle may ship them at will, they lose interest in the few remaining infested farms. If the clean counties in Mississippi were quarantined they would soon get busy and force the infected coun- ties to finish the job The whole South should again unite and get busy to force the conclusion of this job of eradicating the ticks.
 No piece of public work has been done during this century equal to this tick eradication work already done, and take an active part in helping to complete the job.
 Dipping all the cattle every 14 days for one summer will do the work. All the failures are due to the failure to do this dipping-all the cattle every IA days.
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