Smyrna times., 1924-08-27
BEETLE INSPECTORS ACCUSED
But Director M'Cardell Says His Staff
Does Not COnfiscate Edibles for
Private Use

Does Not COnfscate Edibles for
Private Use
Charges that the japanese beetle
scouts and inspectors have been con-
fiscating large quantities of fruit for
the use of themselves and their
friends was denied last week by
Frank McCardell, director of the bu-
reau established in this State by the
Department of Agriculture to fight
the beetle. Some motorists have
claimed that on entering Delaware
from New Jersey or Pennsylvania,
they have been halted by the inspec-
tors and scouts and compelled to hand
over peaches and other fruits before
being allowed to proceed. The motor
lists say that instead of destroying
the fruit, the inspectors or scout
would merely set it by the roadside,
or merely dump out the fruit, inspect
the basket and return it to the motor
lists. Two women motorists who came
into Delaware told of the inspectors
taking a large basket of peaches and
letting a small basket, containing a
dozen or so of peaches, pass. This
made the women suspicious, it is
said. Mr.. McCardell explained this
by saying it takes but a moment to
see if a small basket, containing a
dozen or so peaches, contains any
beetles, but it would take hours to in
spect a truck load of fruit. Mr. Nc
Cardell said he did not doubt that oc-
casionally an inspector might eat a
pear, peach or apple which had been
confscated, but did not believe they
were taking whole baskets of it, OF
would do it.
In further commenting on the reg
ulations governing the japanese beet.
lie quarantine in this State, Director
McCardell said:
According to the regulations laiC
down by the Department of Agricul
ture, which are mandatory, the in
spectors, who are stationed at point
on the highways leading from quar-
antined areas into free areas, first asl
if the person passing through VIII
may be transporting fruit or vege
tables, if he has a permit to transpor
such produce. If such permit is show
the produce is allowed to pass.
not, the car, truck or wagon carrying
the produce, must either turn bac
with its load or dump it before pro
ceeding further.
"The inspector really is not sup
posed even to touch the fruit or pre-
duce, but to make certain the perso
carrying it has a proper permit, fror
the starting point. In fact, the It'll
inspector is a misnomer. The ir
spectors are placed on the roads t
wise or o. X. the permits, which ind
cate there are no beetles in the loa
carried.
at should be emphasized that tn
inspectors are not obliged to touc
the fruit or produce brought from a
infected area without a permit. Th
owner can do what he or she like
| with it-take it back from whence
came, dump it by the roadside, {
| burn tiff he or she has the tim
| If an inspector takes a basket {
| peaches, say, from a motor car,
| does at the request of the motorist &
: an accommodation.
Director McCardell admitted tn;
| the destruction of such seized fruit
\ at the time of seizure would be wei
| 81 agree entirely with the idea," /
| said, "but the difficulty is that tt
government hasn't the funds to pre-
| vide our inspectors with incinerator
| So the only thing the inspectors ca
| do is to have the confcated food prc
/ ducts dumped by the roadside to 70
| or else turn it back"