The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-23
$l7,7OQ,OO0 TOTAL AVAILABLE FOR
 HIGHWAY WORK
Agriculture Bill Calls For Total Appropriations
 Of $56.758,513 =

WASHINGTON, Feb. PA total of S56, 6,75S,513, of which $17, O,O0O would be available for improvement of highways during the coming fiscal year, is carried in the annual agricultural bill reported today by the House approprial tions committee. ...-E-Ee- The total is SIG, ,0s2,940 less than the appropriation "a year ago, when $32,- 300,OOO was allotted for state aid road construction, and is $411, ,312 less than budget estimates.
 For the enforcement of special laws by the department of agriculture, the bill carries $2,627 900, the items in> cluding; packers and stock yards act, $452, ,54O; grain futures act, S1O4, ,46O; :; plant crHr.. itine act, $324 ,426; insecti- size at, Sl4o,576; grain standards act, 25G0. .10tl; warehouse act, $163, 900; cot thr futures and cotton standards act, %lSI.iki0. fooJ and drug act, $716,OOO.
 An alditiona, s1,O71 ,15O is provided f. meat ;f.s5,e f. 9n, $308, 5000 for market inspection ol orrishable food and $6S2,- ss,i 'nr the @ sartment's news service on fvuita al. .egetables.
 An appropriation of S20,O00 is au- thorized to. enable the weather bureau to give warnings throughout the country to fruit growers as to frost and advice on harvest weather and fruit spraying conditions.
 Tuberculosis Fight,
 The bill carries $3,277,0 900 for eradi- cation of tuberculosis among cattle, the ma jor portion of it to be spent in in- demnities S660 000 for eradicating cat k.nly fnr hnr cholera; $2S,4S0 for blister rust con- trol; $411.315 for barberry eradication i; S572.360 for preventing the spread of the European corn borer.
 Provision is made for appointment of delegates to the International Seed Testing conference to be held in Eng land during 1924.
 The committees report in dealing with expenditure of federal funds for highway improvement, brought out that since 1917 federal appropriations to the amount of $392, ST 300 have been made available to the states, of which $2S4,- 3SO.339 had been paid to the states prior to January last. Estimating that expenditures are being made during this fiscal year at the rate of $6,OOO, 900 a month, the committee went on the theory that S72,437, 160 would be nv,ilube July 1 for expenditure in the ,lning fiscal year in addition to the S17, iG0, zoo carried in the bill.
 Boil Weevil Fight
 The i'll carries $3S1, ,910 for the eradicst on of the pink boil worm, $29,- 43G iese than was appropriated last year. q appropriation of $206, ,920, or $41.9!J nore than last year,.was recom- rtNV Co. hat fsAlI crop insects and SPA. TAO for dealing with cot on and truck diseases.
 ,l' department of agriculture, the appr ations committee was informed, intco turing the coming fiscal year to spend $S,S60 of the total appropriated for pink boil worm eradication for work in cooperation with Mexico, and $5,OOO for investigation in Mexico and else where of the pest as basis for control measures. The bulk of the appropria- t;c- world hc eyrended in conducting s.rces and II ,i1cetions, chiefly in Texas.
 i:'aitatiat,s Approved
 Oa re3,ion ct Representatives Byrnes, democrat, South Carolina, the appro- iowiu; hlliit4 io to the bill:
 ''Provide'l 3h' h"- That no part of the lunus note4n appropriated shall be available for any expense incident to ascertaining, collecting or publishing a report stating the intention of the farmer as to the acreage to be planted in cotton
 Mir. Byrnes later said that the sec retary of agriculture had given assur- ance that such report would not be issued this year. The limitation ap- proved by the committee today would ler''. .,' issuance ef such reports during the iiaca! year bes:nlirg July |.