Evening star., 1932-10-28

10 per cent Senate cut tnat many sup
ply bills suffered, great number OF
varied activities in the department are
feeling the pinch of poverty under the
economy regime.
Probably one of the most serious OF
these is the slowing up of research and
regulatory work. with the scientists
hampered by lack of proper funds in
their fight against the pests that plague
\ farms and growing things and menace
the beasts of the field.
The retirement enforced under the
economy act for those that reach 70
years cf age, unable to secure extern
a heavy blow at the Department OF
Agriculture, officials say, for 154
veteran employees found themselves
outside the pale. Only three OF
those who had reached three score
and 10 years were retained with
the sanction of President Hoover,
and the trio was entirely within the
Weather Bureau. They were DR..
Charles F. Marvin, chief of the Weather
Bureau; Dr. Isaac NJ Cline, principal
meteorologist in charge of the Weather
Bureau station at New Orleans, La,
who accomplished outstanding work
| during the floods in the Mississippi VAL
ley, which came to Mr.. Hoover's atten-
tion when he toured the devastated
region. and DR. William j. Humphreys,
principal meterologist in the Weather
Bureaus headquarters here.
Work Against Pests Hampered.
Scientific research in the department
generally has suffered, but officials
say this has not yet reached the
stage where it will have to be shut
down entirely. Most of the field sta
tions started work on the various crops
before the economy act became part Of
the Nations laws. for early in the grow
ing season last Spring observers for the
department we're astir. While this work
is now being terminated as harvests are
gathered, it is dubious if much OF 1T
will be resumed next Spring.
The work of the Bureau of Plant
Quarantine that seeks to check the
ravages of pests in plants, has been
seriously hampered by the reduced
funds, it was said. In ordinary
times as high as 1,700 men were
employed during the corn-groWing
season to inspect for the corn
borer, but during the past Summer
only 300 men were at work as scouts to
get the limits of the infestation and
supply the interested States with the
needed information.
This has meant that automobilists,
who were usually halted and asked if
they were carrying any corn were not
bothered this time, for the quarantine
had to be abandoned altogether. A
slash of $685., 900 in this years appro-
priation tells the story OF the waning
fight on the European corn borer.
A similar tale is written concerning
the work in stemming the tide of the
gypsy moth. The department is at
tempting to halt the spread of this
1est from the New England States and
New York, westward. Nearly quarter
Of a million dollars was cut from this
appropriation. Last year 1t was S648,-
900 This year, it is S400000.
For hating the ravages Of the pink
tOllWorm, the bureau this year has
1929, 900 less for the WORK. Similar re-
,uctions were experienced all along the
line. so that the scientific laborS OF
ears are being sacrificed, officials say.
he spread of these pests may cost the
-|ation many times more than Is being
,aved by the 81 ,257 900 that Uncle Sam
clipped off this years budget, for this
work, the officials assert gravely.
Field Stations Shut.
In the Bureau of Plant Industry, the
field stations at Ardmore, S. Oak, and
San Antonio, Tex, have been shut
down. The work has been trimmed at
every other field station and there have
been general reductions in laboratory
efforts Temporary forces have suffered
and the permanent staff 10 a lesser de-
gree.
That the public wants the scientific
work to proceed Is demonstrated, say
the scientists, by such instances as that
of the dog owners, who want research
to be pushed into the cause of heart
worms in mans canine friend. South
ern dog owners we're informed that
Uncle Sam could not spare the money
to do further research in this field.
so the dog fanciers got together and
made up fund OF $4,000, so that 1t
might not stop.
The value of scientific inquiry to
business is shown. say the Department
of Agriculture scientists, by the case
of the $4,000 secured from Congress by
the sheep men of California to in
vestigate liver flukes in sheep. In three
years, the scientists of the geological
division of the Bureau Of Animal In
dustry say, the department has cleared
out most of the f1ukeS in sheep in
California. This is said to be saving
California hundreds of thousands Of
dollars annually.
Research in the Department OF Agrl-
culture has been retarded to marked
degree, say the scientists. II Congress
keeps on with its cheese pairing, they IN
sist the Government service will no
longer be a career for scientists, but
bane. Hitherto the sure pay OF the
Government service and the TACT that
Washington has offered great facilities
20 the scientists have kept many OF these
learned men at their endeavors here.
Now, they say, they know the pay is not
sure and facilities for research are being
cut down The lure of this scientific
research is so strong that DR.. Albert
Hassall. for instance, is returning VOL
unfairly without a cents compensation,
to pursue his avocation, although the
economy act turned him out at the age
of 70 wears. in July He works in the
Bureau of Animal Industry but his col
leagues say that his brother scientists
are found working on Sundays. holidays
and at night-as further index OF inter-
est in the work.
Trained Staff Built Up.
Over a great many years. the Depart
ment of Agriculture has built up a
trained staff of scientists, specialists in
their field Now the economy act Is
hampering their proper development,
it is said They are laboring with
reduced funds and inadequate ex-
pense for travel, etc, they say
It takes at least five years to
make a man a first-clasS scientist, FOL
they are striving for practical end
The attitude seems to be that it is better
to attempt to bold together the staff
that has been built up over great
number of years-for many of the men
have been engaged in scientific inquiry
for as high as 80 and 40 years-than to
slash the force now and start later with
inexperienced men. Whittier the econ
omy regime is leading. the scientists dc
not know, but they are applehensive OF
its effect, as long-distance policy.
Economy has jolted the Department
of Agriculture in queer way. In the
nHna Of hGnfinr, PictureS f1au f1rOflIc.