The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-03-31
TO ASK COMMISSIONERS
TO KEEP THEIR PLEDGE
County Commissioners Violated Solemn Contract
By Refusal To Finish Work of Tick Eradi-
cation In This County

lick eradication is still a live
:ssue in PaSquotank, spite of the
death blow aimed at it by the
County Commissioners last
month in refusing to make an
appropriation to finish the work
in this county. The Commits
sioners will be besieged by rep
resentativeS of the Elizabeth
City Chamber of Commerce, the
Retail Merchants Association,
the Rotary Club and progressive
farmers and business men gen.
orally, at the next meeting of
the commissioners in this city,
Monday, April 8. Again the
commissioners will be asked to
nniSh the work of tick eradica-
ton in this county or admit that
they have ruthlessly thrown
away over 5000 of the taxpay-
e~S' money in fool experiment.
The County Commissioners will be
reminded thar they have violated a sol
.wu agreement and broken faith with
>c.rr and Federal authorities as we'll as
with the progressive stock growers of
-.,sr county. in their refusal to carry
n the work.
Ou Oct. t. 1920. the. Commissioners
,-ued q contract with the Bureau of
Animal Industry of the L. S. Depart
u.ur Of Agriculture and the North Car
o-Euu Department. of Agriculture, agree
.-g To maintain inspection and quaran
zine Of all cattle in this county condi-
v:oral upon the State and Federal auth
critics releasing this county from quar-
arr1ue The exact obligation was To
maintain inspection of the quarantined
,a-rlr and premises in PasQuotank
County. 10 be released from quarantine.
until all cattle and all premises have
been found TO be free of the cattle fe-
ver rick"
The contract was signed by y. Bur-
fao-. Chairman: W. J. F. Spence. J. II.
IG~irc. J. F. Corbett. T. G. Pritchard,
&. Z. NIuudeu and r. S. Pritchard.
But after entering into this agree
NJ and getting Pasquotank released
|trom quarantine; after spending over
= 400 on tick eradication and having
leaned up $50 of the 1000 herds in
ra, county, the Commissioners refuse
rn make an appropriation to clean up
remaining $50 infested herds, with
yar result that the county is in worse
'coadition than it was before a dollar
Nra> spent on eradication. The county
+ in worse condition because $50 herds
b: cattle freed from ticks are no long
er yick immune and are in imminent
Hanger of infection from the remaining
fIt rted herds
The Commissioners say they are op-
posed 70 carrying on the work because
|-.ry doat know when it will end; that
|t..y have already spent more money
lr..u they we're told the work would
-o--. that they would never have en-
,.aad into the work at all had they
slrwn that it would drag on year after
year They say they thought the cOun-
tv would be rid of all ticks in a year.
|T..y have already put up for three
year, and are not sure that another
va- will see the end Of the expense.
The State and Federal agents admit
|rhst the work has Jagged y ~ 'quo-
hank and has cost excessively, ut they
|lav The whole blame upon the Commits
~.n-rrs and their. friends who have
|ta..a,l to give the work the cooperation
{ mcrited and required. There remains
lIJ infected herds in PasquOtank after
|larcc years of tick eradication because
rha owners Of these herds have not CO.
,perated and have been encouraged in
heir non-co- operation by the Commits
>iouers. and defended in law by E. F..
|Avilctt. Mr.. Aydlett has. for the tick
,es he got out of it, fought tick Grad
|carion work in PasQuotank and blocked
,> progress continually until forced in
u defeat by court decisions that came
-o2 late to enable the State and Fed
,ral agents to clean up the county last
year. Pasquotank has resisted tick
I'radication for three years and has $50
faiacted herds still to be treated before
ao county is tick free. ChOwan COun-
v. just 80 miles away began its tick
rradicatiOn work. only year ago and
aas only 45 infected herds at this time.
i howan has made a better record be-
cauSe Chowan has co-Operated. When
! he free rangers of ChOwan tried to
Employ counsel to fight tick eradica-
tion, not a lawyer in Edenton would
Fake their case. They came to Eliza
beth City and retained Mr.. Aydlett.
And now the Commissioners are 60
3bnS to be asked to reconsider their re-
.Ecut retrOgreSSiOn. get back into favor
with the State and Federal authorities
pud take Pasquotank again out of the
fattle quarantine column. All progress
3 Eiyc farmers and business men are
Rrsed to take an hour off early Mon
lay morning and go before the County
commissioners to convince them of the
frror Of undoing the work that has been
ione